Whiplash
by DragonMan1997
Summary: A simple case of robbery turns into an investigation full of strange twists and unexpected leads, and with a whip cracking vigilante on the loose, there's a whole new adventure in store for Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. (Zootopia Disney - Some Original Characters - 2016) "Some comic book elements..."
1. Chapter 1

Whiplash

Chapter 1 "Whenever, Wherever"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

"You have no idea." Nick Wilde sat in the passenger seat of the ZPD interceptor with his partner, Judy Hopps, driving the car as they headed down the road to Sahara Square. "A bunny like yourself would never understand the concept of an evil ex."

"Nick, come on, was your ex-girlfriend really that bad?" Judy always questioned everything Nick told her. It wasn't the fact that he was a fox, she'd already gotten over that, it was the fact that he was a former con-artist. And, he tended to stretch the truth at times.

"That bad? Yes! She's that bad." Nick laughed to himself. He was always amused by Judy's endeavor to find good in everyone; it was one of the reasons he enjoyed being her partner on the police force.

Judy shook her head at Nick. "Have you ever thought that your judge of character might be wrong?"

Nick raised a brow in disbelief. "This coming from the rookie cop who trusted the very sheep that turned out to be a criminal mastermind?"

Judy frowned at that just as they entered the gateway to Sahara Square. "Nick, sometimes I hate you."

"But, you know you love me," Nick laughed as Judy struggled not to smile, "and besides, you can always feel free to feel morally superior, given the fact of _my_ questionable past."

Judy smiled without restraint. "This is our stop coming up."

Judy drove the interceptor up to the side of a small warehouse. The tan building barely stood out against the desert landscape of Sahara Square. Other ZPD interceptors were parked along the warehouse. Several officers were taking notes from witnesses that were around the area.

Judy walked up to an officer who kept shaking his head as he went over his notes. "How's the investigation going?"

"Not good, Hopps. The witnesses would have been a better help if we had gotten here sooner. The robbery happened last night." The officer closed his notebook and tucked it away. "That's probably why Chief Bogo called you down here."

"Wait, Bogo is here?" That was strange to Judy since Chief Bogo never really attended crime scenes in person often.

"Yep," the officer walked back to his interceptor, "he's waiting inside for you."

"Thanks." Judy turned to Nick. "Nick we need to… Nick?"

Nick was bent over, looking at the ground. "That's strange." He took off his aviator sunglasses to get a better look. "These are footprints, but they have no discernible marks. They're flat."

Judy walked over to see the peculiar footprints. "Huh. Do think they might be covering their feet somehow?"

"I can only speculate," Nick tilted his head as he visually followed the path of the footprints which disappeared at the edge of the street. "I can't shake the feeling that this looks oddly familiar. It's like I've seen this be-"

"Hopps, Wilde!" The booming voice of Chief Bogo, a massive cape buffalo, alerted Nick and Judy. "This way."

They followed Bogo into the warehouse.

"Wow," Nick silently chuckled to himself. "Must have been some wild party animals in here."

All around, the warehouse was in disarray. Shelves were tipped over, glass was shattered, and lights were flickering on and off.

"The air in here is pretty good for its location in Sahara Square." Judy looked around and noticed the photographers taking pictures of evidence, and where it was placed, before bagging and tagging it.

"Advanced air conditioning was installed so that this facility could maintain a specific temperature." Bogo gestured to the industrial vents that were strategically placed around the interior of the warehouse.

"Whoever owns this place must have been storing something pretty sensitive to the elements. That's what the plastic along the walls is for, right?" Nick pointed out the shredded mess of clear thick plastic that was still clinging to the walls.

Bogo smirked. "A good observation Wilde."

"Sir, what exactly was being kept here?" Judy looked up at Bogo.

"Art, Miss Hopps. This warehouse was full of art. There were 151 paintings being stored in this facility. I received the tip, from a former colleague, about the robbery. My colleague insisted that I take up the case." Bogo groaned as he shook his head. "But, I can't make heads or tails of this case. And quite frankly, I'm busy with another case that's more urgent."

Nick nodded a bit. "Life or death situation, I'm guessing."

"I can't reveal all the details as this is a more sensitive case, but yes, it is a priority case for me right now. So, that's why I'm asking you two to look into this case for me." Bogo started for the exit. "After your great success with the savage animals case, I expect good results from your investigation here. Good luck." With that, Chief Bogo left Nick and Judy with their new case.

Nick let out an awkward whistle. "He seemed, nicer."

Judy looked curiously at Nick. "How do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe his case is just getting to him." Nick sighed. "Speaking of cases. How in the world are we gonna start on this one?"

Judy put her paw on her hip as she laughed. "You don't exactly sound as confident as usual."

"That's because half of our success with that first case we did was pure dumb luck." Nick shook his head until he eyeballed a security camera in the corner. "It was lucky that you even caught that glimpse of me in that photo of Otterton."

Judy noticed Nick staring at the security camera. "Maybe we'll get lucky again with the security footage from the time of the robbery."

Nick and Judy made their way to the little room that was annexed to the side of the warehouse. Above the door was a plain white sign with blue letters that read, "Surveillance." Bars protected the windows that were tinted black. Judy hopped up and knocked on the door.

A loud crash from in the surveillance room followed along with a series of angry growls. "If you ain't the coppers, then go away! I'm sleeping."

Judy composed herself before reciting, "This is Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde, ZPD."

There was an audible spit take. "Wait, _the_ Miss Hopps? The fuzzy little rabbit that joined the fuzz?"

"The very same, sir," Nick added.

The door to the surveillance office slammed open, revealing an older Skunk wearing curlers. "I'm a woman." This made Nick's eyes grow behind his shades.

"Yes ma'am," Judy, with her unbiased attitude, thought nothing of it, "we need to take a look at the security footage from last night. Please."

The skunk smiled at Judy. "Alright deary. Come right in." Judy smiled and walked in through the door. The skunk stopped Nick briefly and pointed in his face. "I got my eyes on you foo'."

Judy looked at the desk and noticed a mug with the word "flower" written on it. "Flower?"

"My friends call me Flower." The skunk whipped around, facing Nick. "You may call me Miss Pourri."

Nick smirked. "Miss huh? You're still single?"

"Why?" Flower glared at Nick. "You checking me out?"

Nick waved his paws frantically. "No I didn't mean it like that!"

"Good! Cause I ain't into that whole mixin' species thing you freak." Flower whipped back towards Judy and sat in the chair at the desk. Nick murmured where he stood as Judy quietly laughed at him. "So, let's take it back to about 12:07 when the guy showed up."

Judy and Nick watched as Flower pulled up the footage. It was night. They could see the outside of the warehouse being lit by a single lamp above the door. A single figure rode up on a motorcycle. The figure acted fast and disappeared behind the warehouse. Then the screen went blank.

Judy raised her brow, confused. "What happened?"

"Who ever it was, they knew what they were doing." Flower moved to a different video file. "They cut the power, but I have backup cameras that run on a separate generator. They're equipped with night vision, so we can still see what's going on in the dark." She played the footage.

" _What's that?_ " The voices of the guards were audible. " _Over there!_ " It was too late for the guards. By the time they had drawn their tasers, the intruder had pulled out a strange object that resembled a rope with a handle.

 _CRACK, CRACK._

The intruder used the strange rope to disarm the guards and knocked them unconscious. The footage stopped. Judy looked over at Flower. "Why did you stop it?"

"Because," Flower pulled a flashdrive out of the desk and plugged it into the computer, "the footage stops after he turns around and takes out the rest of my cameras with that rope thing of his. Here, I'll give you a copy of all the footage."

"His? You think it was a male?" Judy quickly pulled out her notebook and began writing.

"Yep. I could smell it." Flower snorted a bit.

Nick's usual smirk floated back onto his face. "Yeah, I bet you did Miss Pourri."

Flower tensely twisted her neck towards nick. "And what would you know about smell, mister hasn't showered in two days."

Nick furrowed his brow but slowly lifted his arm to take a cringe worthy wiff. "Oh, yeah. That's about right."

Judy stared at Nick, mouth agape. "You said it was because you bumped into a sewage plant worker."

Nick waved Judy off. "Let's just get the footage and go. Please?"

With a few snarky comments from Flower and some patience, Judy and Nick got the footage they needed and headed back into the central part of the warehouse. Judy looked around, hoping to find some kind of clue. Taking a deep breath, she noticed something.

"I smell something." Judy continued to sniff the air.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it! I'll take a shower in the locker room as soon as we get back to the station."

"No, Nick. Come here. Smell the air right here." Judy pulled Nick into the spot where she had just been standing.

Nick sniffed at the air. He was surprised to actual smell a different sweeter aroma. "Apples and cinnamon?" Nick sniffed at it again. "Ah. I see."

"What? What is it?" Judy got excited when she thought Nick was on to something.

"Yeah!" Nick smiled, "Furbreze!" Nick's smile slowly died down as he noticed Judy put her paws on her hips in disapproval.

"They wouldn't have air fresheners in a warehouse storing rare and expensive artwork, Nick." Judy thought for a moment. "Let's review some of the basic facts. One of our witnesses, Flower, has identified the perpetrator as a male. We'll assume that the perpetrator is a male, but for the sake of our investigation we'll keep it open to a female."

"Our perpetrator was careful enough not to harm any of the guards seriously, he only incapacitated them." Nick chuckled a bit to himself. "And, whoever _he_ is, he left a trace of air freshener!"

Judy gave Nick a glare that clearly showed that she was _not_ amused. "Nick, hundreds of animals buy air freshener. We can't exactly make suspects out of any animals that happened to buy apple and cinnamon air freshener."

"Oh, I suppose you're right." Nick still smiled, but put his mind back to work. He knew there was a time and place to crack jokes, and he didn't want to get on Judy's nerves too much. He looked around until he noticed a pig still dressed in his security uniform. Nick walked over to the pig who was fiddling with a bandage. "Couldn't be a cop, huh?"

The pig finished replacing the bandage on his wrist and cocked his brow as a suave smile spread on his snout. "Nah, the cop scene just wasn't for me. I found that my true talent was better suited for a more humbler job."

Nick found himself entertained by the pig's strange charisma. "So, you chose security."

The pig laughed as he pulled out a candy bar. "It's more like security chose me. Though, I've been getting some bad vibrations from this job. I'll probably go back to working security at the mall downtown."

"I see," Nick noticed the bandage on the pig's wrist again. "That's quite the injury you got there."

"Oh, this?" The pig waved at the air. "Don't worry about it, it's not that bad. It's just normal wear and tear in the rough life of security work."

"Was it from the perpetrator's weapon?"

The pig nodded his head awkwardly. "Yeah, I'll admit it hurt more at the time when he whipped my taser from my grasp."

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion. "Whipped?"

"Yeah, whipped," the pig repeated, "because he used a whip. It was a pretty cool use of old school weaponry."

"I see," Nick looked back to Judy, "excuse me, uh, what was your name?"

"My friends call me Paul," said the pig with another suave smile.

"Right, Paul. Well, if you'll excuse me Paul, I have to get back to my partner now." Nick walked back over to Judy with a smug look on his face. He knew that Judy liked seeing that look on his face; she knew that look meant good news.

"So? What did the security guard say?" Judy looked back and forth between Nick and Paul with anticipation.

"I got an ID on our perpetrator's weapon." Nick took a small amount of pleasure in seeing Judy's frown turn upside down. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who's an expert on whips, would you?"

"Not exactly." A bigger smile spread across Judy's face. "But, I might know someone who does."


	2. Chapter 2

Whiplash

Chapter 2 "One Piece At A Time"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Heat from the rising sun crawled into the opening garage doors of Reina's Repair Shop. The establishment was well known for good car service and repairs at modest prices. It's financial success is credited to its owner, a doe named Reina Deere.

Reina started her business after she went to a shifty garage that replaced every part they could without fixing the real problem. After this experience, she went to a trade school and studied up on vehicle repairs. She sold her car, after properly fixing it herself, and used the money to partly pay for a run down garage at the edge of the downtown area. Starting off with little more than her father's old tool set, she gradually became a well respected and honored citizen among the Downtown area's more family based residents.

Reina prided herself by saying that her success was due to her determination as an independent female. This attitude and persona attracted similar characters who frequently applied for jobs at Reina's garage. As a result, most of Reina's staff were females.

This morning, Reina was checking up on a newer employee that had been working at her garage for nearly a week. It had been long enough for her new employee to receive her first paycheck, but Reina always liked to see her new employees' diligence and work ethic personally before handing over money.

Reina pulled on her red jacket before exiting her office and stepping into the garage. She had spent more time in her office than she had cared for and was glad to be out. "Ah, I love the smell of oil and gasoline in the morning!" Reina watched as a red car, being driven by a zebra, rolled in. "Yes sir? How may we be of assistance this fine morning?"

The zebra looked tired as he sipped from his cup of Snarlbucks coffee. "I got a flat tire, I already paid the _fox_ inside. How long will this take?"

Reina tried to ignore the way the zebra practically spat out the word _fox_. She didn't like prejudice or mistrusting animals, but she put up with them to maintain the perception of her business's hospitality. "It shouldn't take long sir." Reina turned and headed for the nearest toolbox for a wrench so that she could replace the tire herself. But, before she even found a ratchet, a loud sound alerted her.

"What the?!" The zebra death gripped the steering wheel in his car. "What was that?"

Reina clearly saw that the car was still shaking a bit from a short fall of some kind. Then she looked at the tires of the car and smiled. "All done sir."

The zebra poked his head out of his window and raised his brows at the sight of a shining brand new tire in the place of where the flat once was. "Excellent service if I do say so." The zebra smiled and waved as he began to back his car out of the garage. "Thanks!"

"Anytime!" Reina shook her head, laughing a bit. She looked down to the floor where the mechanic, who had changed the tire, was still laying on a rolling creeper. Reina was surprised that she hadn't noticed her until after the car rolled away. "Good job."

The mechanic in question was a snow leopard. She pushed her thick black rimmed glasses closer to her face as she adjusted one of the straps on her overalls. "Thanks Miss Deere, but I think I may have miscalculated how fast the jack would let the car down. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it's a mistake all of my employees have made during their first weeks. And besides, we make mistakes so we can learn from them." Reina gave the rookie mechanic a nice smile. "I trusted your friend Kit when she suggested you, and here, I see you live up to her words. Here's your first paycheck Lily Clawhauser. Welcome aboard." Reina handed a blue check to Lily.

Lily watched as her boss left the garage and quietly went back to her office. She rolled herself on the creeper to the wall where her crutches were. Carefully, she hobbled up to her feet before sliding her arms into the cuffs of her crutches. She looked down at her legs and sighed. Her left pant leg was rolled up because her left leg was physically shorter that the other. "Now I have the money," Lily told herself.

"Now you can start paying for that operation you always talked about?" The words came from Lily's friend.

"Yep! My goodness, I'm so happy Kit!" Lily would have jumped for joy if it hadn't been for her crutches. It wasn't that she couldn't walk, it was her less than perfect balance due to her shorter left leg. She had broken her leg when she was younger, and an unseen side effect had occurred. Her tibia bone had ceased to grow. It was a condition known as leg length discrepancy. Operations to fix the problem existed, but Lily had come from a home where money for such operations was hard to come by. "With my first paycheck and some of the other savings I have, I can finally afford the first down payment on the procedure."

"That's wonderful Lily." Kit had known Lily since they were in school. The two of them were the misfit pals that didn't care what anyone had to say. Kit was a fox, and because she wasn't a red fox like the rest of the foxes at their school, she was alienated from that clique. Lily had a hard enough time adapting with her developing leg problems. Her crutches weren't attractive to all, and they limited her involvement in the extra curricular activities she loved. The two met by chance when Kit failed at dance team tryouts and Lily happened to be there telling Kit how good she thought she was. The two ate at lunch everyday after that and talked about how they would both be dancers, one day. "So, if you're spending your money on your leg, where are you staying? Is there some magic apartment that goes for two dollars a month that I don't know about?"

"No," Lily laughed at her friend's humor, "I'm staying with my cousin, well distant cousin. I don't really remember how I first met him, but we've always been close ever since we met."

"Is he cute? Single?" Kit wagged her eyebrows. "I'm free tomorrow night."

"I don't think Benjamin is your type. He's more of a big teddy bear, though, he's a cheetah." Lily knew Kit liked more petite dates. "And, he's a cop."

"Oh," Kit sighed. She hated cops.

Lily laughed a little inside. Her friend hadn't had much luck with dating. "You'd probably be better off with a lemming."

"Hey, I actually did enjoy Fifty Shades of Prey." Kit nudged Lily a bit in the side. "I wouldn't mind if Mr. Lemming would see me now." The two laughed.

"So, how's the dancing coming along?" Lily always checked in to see how Kit's _would be_ dance career was going.

"Oh you know, slow and void of payment. That's why I'm still working here. When I went to dance school, I should have known I was learning about a hobby and not a job." Kit shrugged and stopped to smile when she noticed a familiar movers truck rolling into the garage. "Looks like your boyfriend is back."

"Kit! He's not my boyfriend." Lily's white fur didn't do much to hide her blush.

"Not _yet_." Kit patted Lily on the shoulder. "I'm sure that Mr. Wolff hasn't forgotten about you the last two times he was here."

Adam Wolff was a regular at Reina's garage. The one job that Kit and Lily knew he had was as a mover. He apparently worked for a company that supplied the moving truck while he drove and provided the animal power to load the truck. Because this job often involved long distances, he had to get his moving truck serviced at a garage more often than usual. He usually got his truck's oil changed and a few minor tune ups. It was Lily's second day at the garage when Adam came in for his regular and she first met him.

Lily thought he was a bit of a dork. Adam was always pulling his cap down and awkwardly glancing in a different direction. He was a dork, Lily thought, but cute, for a wolf. In a moment she stared at him and smiled while the oil was still draining into the drip pan. When he finally turned to looked at her he looked terrified at first but soon gained the confidence to smile back and wave. Lily was surprised to see him again the following day. He said that the air pressure in his tires was low. When Lily had checked, it looked like his tires were deflated on purpose. While she put air in the tires, they struck up a conversation.

Lily was actually looking forward to seeing Adam again. "Mr. Wolff. It's good to see you again!" But, when the window to the truck's cabin rolled down, it wasn't Adam. "Oh, I'm sorry sir. I thought you were someone else."

The driver was an older bull who seemed rigid in stature. His aged and wrinkled face betrayed his ability to conceal some hidden emotion. There was a slight blinding glare off of the thin gold band around his left horn. "It's okay, I get that a lot." The bull tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "The usual oil change, please."

"Right." Lily was concerned with the bull and what he was doing in Adam's truck. Trying not to be rude, she was still on the job, she pulled out a drip pan and pushed it under the truck with her crutch. "Where's Mr. Wolff? This _is_ his truck, isn't it?" Lily noticed a nervous expression on the bull's face.

"Um, uh, he's sick." The bull quickly answered.

Lily tried to act casual as she laid on the creeper and rolled under the truck. "Sick huh?" She loosened a nut under the truck and hot oil began to pour out into the drip pan.

"Yes," the bull sighed, somewhat sad, "very sick. I told him I'd take his shift for today."

Okay, Lily thought, that seemed normal enough. "Oh, well I hope he gets better." Lily felt a little silly saying that. She didn't normally talk that way about strangers she'd only known for a couple of days. But, there was something about Adam. Lily felt like he was a kind, misunderstood soul. It was crazy, she thought, but Adam reminded her a bit of herself when she was in school. She remembered how she only had Kit as a friend.

"How do you know Mas-, I mean, Mr. Wolff?" The bull surprised Lily with that question.

"Well, we've only met twice, and the second time we had a nice little conversation." Lily screwed the nut back in after the oil had all emptied.

"What did you talk about?" Again, the old bull surprised Lily.

Lily thought as she grabbed one of her crutches and limped over to the side to grab a new container of oil. "Just about work. I told him about how I came to work at this garage. He told me about some crazy incidents when he was moving a couple families to new homes. He asked me about my leg, but he was polite about it and respectful, now that I think about it."

"Okay." The bull had a sort of a melancholy tone about him. "It's good that he's talking to others, being open."

Lily kept quiet as she poured the new oil into the oil intake. She didn't know what was up. The bull's strange behavior and his strange questions about Adam raised her suspicions again. She began to inspect the vehicle, but to little avail. The truck was clean, like it was fresh from the car wash. Then, when Lily pulled out the drip pan from under the truck, she noticed something. There were little specs of sand floating amongst the dirty brown oil. "You move someone to Sahara Square recently?" The bull didn't answer. "Sorry, it's none of my business." The bull simply rolled the window back up.

Time passed, but Lily's mind still festered over the incident with the bull. The encounter was so mysterious to her, and yet, if it had been any other animal's business, she could care less. But, something was definitely wrong. It was definitely Adam Wolff's moving truck, but someone else was driving it. Movers don't just fill in for each other, they just go where they're called. Lily thought, shouldn't they each get their own truck? But then again, she realized, the company trucks could just pass to whoever.

Lily sat down and tried to stop thinking about it. She figured she had been thinking too much about this incident.

"Hey Lily, what's up? You look a little worse for wear." Kit sat down next to her friend.

Lily twiddled with her paws a bit. "It's Adam."

"What? Was he not interested? Don't worry there's plenty of animals in Zootopia." Kit pat her friend on the shoulder and was about to walk away, but before she could, Lily grabbed her by the arm.

"No, it wasn't that. Someone else was driving his truck. This bull, he was acting strange and he was asking strange questions." Lily rubbed her temples. "I'm just worried."

"Worried? About what?" Kit laughed. "You barely even know this Wolff guy, and the moment he's missing and some bull is driving his truck, you're worried? He probably just got one of his friends to do his job so he could still get paid on a sick day."

"I've got that feeling!" Lily was known for a few and many things in life, but one such thing she was most known for among friends was her sense of knowing when there's trouble. Once Lily got that feeling when she was going down the street with Kit. She stopped kit before an old television set fell from four stories above and smashed into the sidewalk. Lilly had saved Kit's life.

Kit paled a bit. "Okay. I'll go talk to Reina. If Adam's truck was stolen, maybe the police have a report that she can ask about. Alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Lily brought her friend in for a hug. "Thanks for listening."


	3. Chapter 3

Whiplash

Chapter 3 "Get Lucky"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy and Nick walked into the police station with a box of donuts in tow. They gave the donuts to the receptionist, a rather chubby cheetah named Benjamin Clawhauser. "Oh, thanks guys! I'm actually going to save these and bring them home. My cousin is staying with me, and I know she'll love these amazing donuts you guys always get." Judy always enjoyed Benjamin's attitude toward certain things it life, and donuts. Nick was cool with Clawhauser. But before he met Judy, he probably would never have been open to an animal as flamboyant as Benjamin. Things had definitely changed.

The two cops continued on their way to one of the back rooms in the station. There was a door covered in stickers that resembled danger signs and biohazard warnings. A little black sign next to the door read "Forensics."

"I see the new guy decorated. You think he's a Prepper?" Nick's smile grew with Judy's obviously unamused expression. "I bet you he has a videogame collection."

Judy raised her brow. "You'll pay?" Nick nodded to her. "I bet it's a book collection, and If I'm right, you pay for lunch all next week."

"You're on, sly bunny." Nick proceeded to knock on the door. To both their surprise, the door was answered rather quickly.

A quoll stuck his face though the opening of the door as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "You're the officers on the stolen art case?"

"Yes," Judy confirmed, "are you the new forensic scientist?"

"Yeah. My name is Donald Q." He opened the door more so that Nick and Judy come in.

It was dark with the only lights being the lamps that hung from the ceiling over the table of evidence. Right off the bat, Judy noticed a bookshelf in the corner of the room.

"Are those your books, uh, Q?" Judy could detect the angst on Nick's face.

"Oh, yes. But this is only a little of what I have. I have five more bookshelves at my apartment. I brought these for my free time. And quite frankly, I tend to have quite a lot of free time in between big cases." Q went over to the table of evidence to organize it.

While Q was getting the evidence in order, Judy gave Nick a good nudge in the ribs. "You owe me lunch for a week."

Nick smiled despite losing the bet. "Like I said, sly bunny."

"Dumb fox." Judy laughed.

"Here we are." Q motioned Nick and Judy over to the table of evidence.

Nick took a particular interest in the idea of forensics as of late. He found himself astonished by how animals could piece together these little bits of evidence and come up with a plausible picture of how a crime went down. Nick had started reading a couple crime novels in his spare time, something Judy did that had rubbed off on him. He looked over the evidence before him. Automatically he noticed molds of the tire tracks that belonged to the perpetrator's motorcycle, but off to the side, Nick also noticed another set of tracks. These tracks were wider.

"What are these other tracks?" Nick moved closer to get a better look at the molds.

Q smiled. "I made sure that there was a thorough sweep for evidence. Chief Bogo was _kind_ enough to let me pick the members of my team for the sweep. I must say, I really am proud. They found this second set of tracks by the warehouse's loading area. The lock on the door where the tracks were was broken."

Nick looked carefully at the second set of tracks. He noticed how a number of fragment molds showed the same tracks on top of each other, but one was more raised. "Whatever it was, it came and left with something, possibly the art."

Judy tilted her head as she tried to figure out how Nick came to that conclusion. "How do you know that?"

Nick pointed along the layers of the tire tracks. "See this first track is shallow, while the overlapping track is deeper. More weight explains a deeper imprint."

Q pat Nick on the shoulder. "Impressive Officer Wilde! Maybe you'll make it as a forensic scientist."

"Huh, that's impressive Nick." Judy laughed at the look on Nick's face.

The last thing Nick was interested in was being a scientist. "Let's just stick to crime fighting, okay?"

An electronic ding sounded off from the desktop computer that Nick and Judy hadn't noticed because the screen was so dim. "Ah-ha! I got that information I requested." Q ran over to the computer and began to scroll down the screen. "Interesting." He pulled out a paper pad and pen. "It seems that the motorcycle tires could not be identified due to some abnormalities."

Nick whispered to Judy. "I knew some thugs that would wear chains on their tires to throw off investigators." Judy simply nodded in response.

Q's eyes lit up as he pushed his glasses back up again. "But, they _were_ able to identify the other tracks. Apparently they're a very specific model of Good Deer tires that are commonly used by moving companies."

"That makes sense," Judy thought out loud, "hey, can you check if we got any reports about a stolen moving truck?"

"Certainly." Q didn't look long. "Oh, wow, yes! Exactly one day before the robbery at the warehouse, a Mrs. Pawstine made a report. She was moving into a new apartment and had hired a mover from a local moving company. The report here says that the driver was shot by a tranquilizer dart before his truck was stolen by a bull. Here, I can print out the composite sketch."

Judy grabbed the carbon copy the printer spat out. "What was the name of the driver?"

Q wrote down the information on a piece of paper for Judy. "His name is Adam Wolff. He doesn't own a cell phone, but there is a landline number for his house in the Rain Forest District."

Nick looked over Judy's shoulder at the name on the paper. "Hmm. Wolfuh-fuh." Judy quickly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Oh, that's interesting." Q rested his chin on his paw as he read more and more. "He was _not_ questioned about the incident."

"That's odd. I'll bet there's something more to this Adam Wolff than meets the eye." Judy shoved the paper with the address in her pocket. "We'll be on our way with this information. Feel free to give us a call if you can make out anything else from the evidence." She turned for the door. "Come on Nick."

"Wow." Nick carefully closed the door to the forensics room as he followed Judy. "Who are you, and what have you done with the real carrots?"

Judy looked at Nick, almost in frustration. "What's that supposed to mean."

Nick stopped where he stood. "There's this new blunt attitude about you. You don't seem to trust this Adam guy."

"Well, I thought about what you said about my misjudgment of Bellwether. I don't want to make that mistake again." Judy held a serious look that told Nick to just accept it.

The two of them went back to their interceptor to drive to the Rain Forest District. The road wasn't too congested. There was a minor accident to the side but nothing big enough to cause bumper to bumper traffic. There was enough time though for the two partners' thoughts to trailblaze in the meantime.

Nick thought about his job, as a cop. Years ago he would never have thought he'd end up on this side of the law as an enforcer. That was thanks to Judy. She had changed his outlook on life. He was glad. Nick could say that, and it was comforting that he had something to be glad for. He was glad to have an honest job, he was glad to be doing the city good, and he was glad that Judy was there to teach him how to do his taxes.

Judy kept her mind mostly on the case. She was determined to find out all that she could about this Adam Wolff. The fact that he was not questioned about his stolen truck just stuck out like a carrot in a box full of blueberries. A thorough cop would have questioned him, unless he was evasive to the officer's inquiry. Looking at Nick made Judy's natural smile grow back. He was showing quite the talent in detective work back at the station. With his help, she knew she could get to the bottom of this case.

Judy rolled up and parked the interceptor next to what looked like a small two story tree house. "This is where he lives?"

Nick pulled down his patrol sunglasses to get a better look at the house. "Hey, maybe he wanted to live in a quieter jungle than the urban jungle." Nick stepped out and looked around the neighborhood. There were more houses that made up the block. Children were out and about playing games here, riding bikes there, and just being kids. "Nice place, actually."

"It could be a great cover up." Judy commented as she got out of the interceptor and locked it.

"Woah there. Is that an accusation I hear?" Nick followed Judy up to Adam Wolff's house.

"You never know, maybe he hired someone to steal his truck so it looked like it wasn't him." Judy knocked on the door to the house.

"Come on. And besides, I've met art thieves, and they would not get caught dead in a suburban neighborhood like this, let alone the Rainforest District." Nick heard the lock on the door unlatch.

Judy and Nick were both alert when they looked to see who would answer the door. They both were surprised to see a young stag poke his bright green eyed face through the small opening that was held by a small chain towards the top. "Hello?"

The young stag couldn't have been more than five years old, but he was still a little higher than Judy's eye level. Judy put on a sweeter voice that wouldn't startle him. "Hello."

"Sorry, dad says not to buy stuff from strangers." The young stag was about to close the door until Nick spoke up.

"We're not strangers kid, we're the police. We'd like to know if an Adam Wolff lives here." Nick watched the stag think for a moment.

The young stag looked back inside for a second at the sound of a distant voice. "You mean my dad?"

Nick and Judy looked at each other in a sort of knowing glance. Judy carefully addressed the stag, "Yes, we'd like to talk to your _father_."

"Ok." The stag slammed the door shut. Judy could clearly hear him calling out to his _father_. A quick set of steps sounded out as they came closer to the door.

"Sorry about my son, officers. Daniel is well, you know… Children are children." Adam Wolff was an anomaly. Both Nick and Judy felt this strange comfortable yet almost morose air about him. His black fur was contrasted by his golden eyes. He was a wolf, and a tall one at that. But, Nick knew he had seen taller wolves around. Judy looked at Adam closely as he stretched a beanie further onto his head. "Is this about my truck?"

Judy opened the Manila folder she brought with her to retrieve the composite sketch. "Um, yes. In fa-"

"I'd love to help! I'm sorry I wasn't much help the day of the incident. But, I had to make it to my next job." Adam looked quickly inside to see what his son was doing.

"Your next job?" Judy's ears drooped slightly. "How many jobs do you have?"

"Well," Adam leaned against the doorpost, "I had four jobs, but now that the moving company is blaming me for it getting stolen, I only have three now."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Nick sympathised with Adam. He knew how hard it was sometimes. There was also the fact that Adam was raising an adopted child as well. Whatever the reasons, Nick saw a animal that he wished he had known a long time ago. Nick found respect, he respected this animal. It was a new experience for him. Respect was almost a dying practice in his life. It was rekindled by Judy, but this wolf, this Adam was the first time he felt respect for anyone other than a friend in a long time.

"Is there anyway you can verify where you were after your truck was stolen?" Judy was on a skeptic spree, apparently, and it was beginning to annoy Nick, but he remained reserved. Judy was doing her job afterall.

"Oh, of course. Um, come inside. I'll get you something to drink." Adam opened the door to his home and stretched out a welcoming arm for Nick and Judy.

Judy stepped inside rather arrogantly, while Nick followed up with a nod of appreciation. "We're not allowed to _drink_ while on duty."

Adam laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, nothing like _that_. I don't _drink_ , period. Would you like some water?" Judy nodded. "And you?"

"Surprise me." Nick gave Adam a friendlier smile than Judy did.

"Okay then. I'll be right back." Nick and Judy watched him as he casually walked into the kitchen. He ruffled the fur on his son's head who was sitting at the kitchen table coloring a picture book.

"Seems like a nice guy," Nick commented to Judy in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Judy ground her teeth together, "I'm sure he is."

Nick bumped Judy's shoulder a bit. "Oh come on, what's eating you?"

"I'm just approaching this situation more carefully than my last case." Judy sighed.

"You mean _our_ last case." Nick could see that Judy was in a mood. He knew how emotional bunnies could be, but this almost seemed ridiculous. "Hey," Nick wrapped his arm around Judy's shoulders for a brief moment, "it is possible for some animals to be genuinely kind hearted and sweet. I mean, look at you. I practically got a cavity the first time we met."

Judy couldn't help but give a little at Nick's expertise in loosening tension. "Alright, I get it," she smiled for the first time since they got there, "I'll lighten up."

Nick smirked. "Hey, did you notice his tail is missing?"

"What?" Judy gawked at Nick.

Adam soon came back with two glasses in his paws. "Here you go officers." Judy chugged down the glass of water. She noticed the spot where Adam's tail should have been. Nick tasted his and smiled a little at the unmistakable mango flavor. Nick raised his glass a little as if he were in toast mode. "Right then." Adam smiled. "What can I do you for?"

Judy handed her now empty glass back to Adam as she pulled out the composite sketch of the truck thief. "Yes, have you seen this bull before?"

Adam's face deadpanned the moment he took hold of the paper. "That looks like him, but there's something missing."

"What, what's missing?" Nick watched as Adam pointed back and forth between the bull's horns.

"Yeah, he had a gold band on one of his horns. I remember seeing it shine before he shot me." Adam handed the carbon copy back to Judy.

Judy wrote down this new information at the bottom of the sketch. "Thank you Mr. Wolff."

"It was a pleasure Officer, uh," Adam facepalmed, "oh, I'm sorry. I never even asked your names."

"It's alright." Nick almost felt sick now because of how polite this Adam Wolff was trying to be. "I'm Nick Wilde, and my partner here is Judy Hopps."

Adam's smile grew even wider at hearing their names. "Wow, you are…" Adam laughed a bit as he crossed his arms. "Hey Daniel! You remember those two cops from the newspaper?" Judy and Nick laughed together as they realized how old school Mr. Wolff was. They felt a little silly too when he broke the news to his son about who the two cops on their doorstep really were. "Did you know they're here?"

"What?" The young stag ran over with a giddy yet shy smile. "Wow!" Nick laughed when Daniel surprise hugged Judy.

"I guess he didn't recognise you. You do look a lot different in person." Adam Wolff held a warm smile as he looked on at the endearing image of his son hugging Judy.

"I think you've got a fan whiskers." Nick reached to one of his pockets pulling out a ZPD sticker. "Hey kid." Nick watched as Daniel let go and Judy whispered a thank you for the relief. "How would you like to be an honorary police officer?"

Daniel's eyes grew in wonder. "Really?"

"Yeah." Nick smirked a bit when he pulled the sticker off of its backing and placed it carefully on Daniel's shirt. "There. But remember, there's a special responsibility that comes with this badge. Do you promise to do good and help others?"

Looking at the sticker and back to Nick, Daniel smiled a pure and sweet smile. "Wow. I promise! And, tonight I can help someone. Honest!"

Judy laughed a bit as she put her paw on her hip. "Is that right? Who are you gonna help?"

"Daddy! I'm gonna keep him safe from the monsters in his closet." With that Daniel ran off, probably to go find a flashlight.

Both Judy and Nick looked at Adam Wolff curiously. Adam just smiled and shrugged. "How else do you explain insomnia to a six-year-old?"


	4. Chapter 4

Whiplash

Chapter 4 "Burn It Down"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

"Q my man! I hear you got something new for us. Am I right?" Nick came shuffling through the door with Judy in tow.

Q spun around in his rolling chair. "Uh yeah. So, one of our pieces of evidence happens to go faster than the speed of sound on a regular basis."

"What?" Judy rushed over to look at the item that was sealed in a plastic evidence bag. "But, it's a piece of string."

"Actually it's a cracker!" Q clapped with glee.

Nick tilted his head as he stared at the string. "It doesn't look that appetising, to be honest."

Q shook his head frantically. "No, no, no! This is piece of the whip that you described in your initial reports. And I took the liberty of testing it."

"What did you find out?" Judy examined the strange twist in the string and how it was braided.

"Well," Q pulled out the printed results and handed them to Nick, "it's made from a higher end nylon string, and there were traces of keratin."

"Hooves." Nick nodded as to show his understanding. "The truck thief was a bull, it makes sense. Can you determine if it's from a bull?"

"That might be trickier." Q took the results back. "There was barely enough for me to determine it was keratin. I'll need some time before I can come up with a conclusive result. But, that's not all."

"There's more?" Judy set the evidence back down on the table as she sidled up to Nick's side to listen to what Q had to say.

"Though it's technically not my job, I did some digging around about that list of paintings that was _stolen_. It seems that the paintings had already been stolen before." Nick and Judy were at a loss for words. "As in, they were stolen years ago and never recovered. So, whoever claims to _own_ these paintings is in very big trouble. That's what I'm saying."

"Well, this case just got a whole lot bigger." Nick muttered while Judy groaned. "I'll go get the coffee."

In the course of the next four hours, there was a big excavation of information in the depths of the database. Nick was hungover from the excessive amount of coffee mixed with the eternity of screen watching that was marked by the bags under his eyes. Judy began pacing the room as she frantically searched the printouts of various documents. She checked and double checked all the information.

Nick took a break from staring at his screen to look around the room. He saw Q talking over the phone, and Judy, who finally sat down against the desk with a pen in her paw circling connection after connection. Nick couldn't help but smile at his partner's determination. She was always working. Even in your sleep, he thought, you just keep going and making the world a better place. Nick imagined what it would have been like to never have met Judy.

He probably would have continued in his old less than desirable ways. If he hadn't been there, she would have lost her job. The nighthowler drug would still be out there. A chill went down his spine. The idea that he could have been a targeted predator, gave him goosebumps. The problem would have grown a lot worse. Even in the museum of natural history, he had a shred of doubt that the blueberry swap wouldn't have worked. Nick once had a nightmare where he actually had gotten shot with the nighthowler serum, and he had actually killed Judy. He never told Judy about that. He didn't like to dwell on the idea either.

Judy tapped her pen on the paper as she took note of the final connection in her stack of documents. Her ears felt warm and twitched, a bit. She turned around to see Nick staring at her with an almost concerned expression. "You alright, Nick?" She watched as Nick quickly nodded his head and went back to scrolling through the information on the computer. Judy smiled. She was glad to have such a great partner. Judy knew Nick wasn't being lazy about the case when he told her to relax; he was just trying to make sure she didn't go overboard. Judy liked that about Nick, he was always reminding her to step back and take a different look at the big picture. That was a good thing. It's good for cops to look at cases from new angles.

"Okay then," Q sighed after he hung up the phone, "I just got off the phone with the Director of the Federal Burrow of Investigation."

"The FBI?" Judy looked at Q. "Why'd you call the FBI?" Q quickly shook his head, which surprised Judy. "They called you?"

"Oh, yeah." Q nodded with a nervous grin. "They uh, noticed that we were digging into this information. And they wanted to talk to the cops in charge of this investigation. That means you two."

"Well, how soon do they want to talk to us?" Judy spoke too soon when a knock on the door alerted them.

The door burst open with an angry Chief Bogo standing in the doorway. "Hopps, Wilde!" Both Judy and Nick stood at attention. An angry smile grew on Bogo's face as someone else approached from behind. "Care to explain why the FBI is knocking at our door?"

"Relax Bogo, my boy!" A rather cheerful hyena sidestepped Bogo out of the way.

"Don't call me boy!" Bogo snapped pointing in the hyena's face.

"Hehehe, you always hated that Bogy!" The hyena laughed as he moved forward to address Nick and Judy, leaving a grumbling Bogo behind him. "You two look a little nervous. Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

"Really? That's a first." Nick nudged Judy in the side.

"Hehehe, I like your humor boy. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Agent Savage, from the FBI." Savage took the time to shake their paws, respectively. "I'm here to congratulate you on your first success in this case."

"Success, Sir?" Judy saw the expression on Chief Bogo's face change with an odd surprised look.

"Why yes," Savage walked around and picked up some of the papers Judy had been working on, "you made the connections and produced the evidence we needed to take down a serious offender to the government."

"What are we talking here?" Nick had a bad feeling about this. "Drug trafficking, tax evasion, bank robbery, counterfeiting?"

Savage smiled. "All of the above."

Silence filled the room. All was quiet.

"Wow." Q broke the silence. "I love this job!" Everyone stared at Q. "Oh, well," he laughed awkwardly as he got up, "I think I'll just take a second lunch break." Q quickly darted out of the room covering his eyes from the bright light.

"Hehehe, your employees have gotten weird lately ever since Lionheart's inclusion act, huh Bogy!" Savage laughed at Bogo's discomfort. "But in all seriousness. There's one more federal offense that your _investigation_ has brought to light."

Nick smirked. "Art theft?"

"Bingo." Savage pat Nick on the shoulder. "We weren't able to catch this guy on tax evasion because of how tight knit his cover-ups usually are, but with this charge of art theft, it's a guaranteed case closed. However, there's a gamble in all this."

Judy chimed in. "I was about to say, I thought that art theft only became a _federal_ crime if it was stolen from a museum."

"Under normal circumstances, that's the most common recognition. But, the purchasing of art stolen in this manner is also a federal offense. It's one of those laws that not too many have read up on, like cuddle knobs."

"Cuddle knobs?" Judy looked to Nick.

"They're those knobs that animals put on steering wheels. They're only illegal on public transportation vehicles like taxis and busses, but that's specific to just the downtown area. In your hometown, actually, it's illegal to have them on tractors."

Judy was surprised to hear something she didn't already know about Bunny Burrows. "I didn't know that."

"That's the slip up we've got on our guy now, thanks to you," Savage explained, "he's not aware of his slip up! We can get a court order to seize him, but we want to make the most of it. We want to get him where it counts and expose his operations."

Nick scratched his chin a bit. "You should probably apprehend him at a location that he frequently visits. I don't mean his favorite restaurant. I mean a location of suspicion that he visits frequently."

"Know this from experience, Officer Wilde?" Savage clasped his paws together in anticipation.

"Yeah, actually." Nick felt a little uncomfortable admitting a piece of his old life. "A buddy of mine, he got caught but not in the act. He was caught at a trade that wasn't even his trade."

Judy looked at Nick. "I remember that case. You pretended not to know that animal!"

"I wasn't going to vouch for him, and besides, he stole my dad's watch." Nick rubbed the leather strap wristwatch he wore. It was one of his few remaining memories of his father he carried and a good luck charm. "Every criminal's worst fear is an ex-con that builds a conscience and becomes a cop."

Savage smiled. "That's another reason for me to take a liking to you, Officer Wilde. We both have rough pasts, and we're blessed with a sense of humor."

Bogo groaned. "You two gonna kiss or what?"

"Oh, Bogy old boy. You never did grasp the concept of intimate respect for other animals. That's why you're Chief, you can pass harsh judgements." Savage sighed with a crooked smile as he looked at Judy and Nick. "I have faith in animals. Unlike Bogy over here, I don't work to meet a status quo. I'm glad there's still animals like you two to prove him wrong. Maybe everyone will trust cops more, if they follow your example."

Judy was at a loss for words. "Wow, thank you."

"No, thank _you_ , for your example." Savage got this extra big old grin on his face while Bogo gave up the act in the background and even cracked a small smile. "I know of a place that matches Officer Wilde's description. We can actually do this in about three days, since he'll be there then, if his pattern follows through. But, I'd like to ask a favor of you two."

"What's do you mean by favor?" Judy nervously looked at Nick.

"It would be great if you and Officer Wilde would assist in the takedown and exposure of this animal's operations. We could always use an extra set of inquisitive minds on the scene." Savage turned to Bogo. "What do you say old boy? Want to come along too?"

Bogo squinted his eyes at Agent Savage. "Is this a trick?"

"I know you think us hyenas are still shifty, but no, this is no trick. I'm even going to ask that you bring ny other officers you think would be able to aid us in the takedown." Savage stretched his arm out. "Bogo. As an old friend? What do you say?"

Bogo thought about it. "Can you guarantee the safety of my officers?"

Savage nodded his head. "With a court order, there will be no defiance. If there is, we're prepared for it."

Bogo looked around to see Judy and Nick, both waiting for his answer as well. "Alright Frank," Bogo shook Savage's paw, "Just tell us where we need to be."


	5. Chapter 5

Whiplash

Chapter 5 "The Wolves & the Ravens"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

"Have a good day now!" Lily waved at the latest satisfied customer that was exiting the garage. Putting her arm back into her crutch she moved over to the toolbox to clean up the stray tools. She slipped a couple of times, but it was no problem she hadn't dealt with before. Then again, she didn't have a chunk of stainless steel screwed into the side of her leg before. She had arranged an appointment with a doctor to start the operation. That was when Reina had given her that first paycheck. She got the stainless steel fixator the next day. Technically, she was supposed to rest a bit more, but she had a job she was determined to do. Lily was happy that her overalls could fit over the fixator.

"Hey, Lily. How are you holding up?" Kit saw her friend fumbling with putting the tools back. She knew Lily well enough to notice all her little subconscious signs of emotion. Kit knew that whenever she fumbled with anything, it meant that she was frustrated or nervous about something.

"I'm getting used to the fixator. My skin gets irritated at times, but that's what the creme the doctor gave me is for." Lily finished putting the tools away and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Is this about Adam?" Kit put her paw on her friend's shoulder.

Lily nodded. "It's been two days, and not a word from the police."

"Lily, the police are busy, I'm _sure_ of that. And besides, Miss Deere made that phone call anonymously. It's not like they would take the time to check back on their tips anyways." Kit watched as Lily shook her head.

"I know, I'm probably just getting too worked up over it." Lily maneuvered herself over to the chair that kit had brought out for her when she wanted to sit.

"It's not bad that you care, Lily. Actually, finding animals that care as much as you do about anything are hard to comeby these days. Just remember, things happen. We're not in control of everything, but we make the best of what we got." Kit hated seeing Lily upset. "Maybe Adam's helping the police find out who stole his truck right now."

Lily finally smiled at that idea. "Yeah, maybe."

Kit hugged her friend. "That's my girl. The toughest snow leopard on this side of Zootopia!" Kit headed for the door to the office. "It's almost lunch break, you want to come with me to pick something up?"

"Nah, I'll stay here." Lily saluted her friend.

"Lily, Lily, Lily. Always such a busy bee." Kit laughed as she left the garage.

"Yeah, busy bee. Buzz, buzz." Lily shook her head just as the bell went off. Another customer was rolling in. Lily watched as an older blue pick up truck with a roll bar drove into the garage. It was covered with dried mud around it's edges. The windows were also caked in mud except for the front windshield, where the wipers left their cleaning mark. Lily took note of the back deflated tire on the driver's side. She pushed the rolling jack under the truck with a hefty shove from her crutch. She marched with her crutches over to the jack and began to pump the jack's lever to raise up the truck.

She hadn't recognised the voice of the animal who stepped out of the truck. "Excuse me, where's the squeegee? I'd like to clean my windows if that's alright with you."

"It's over there on the wall, sir." Lily turned and was shocked to see Adam Wolff standing there. "Mr. Wolff?"

"Yeah, how's it going?" Adam was oblivious to the concerned look on Lily's face.

"I was worried about you." Lily stood up. "I saw that bull driving your truck."

Adam's expression dropped to shock. "He was here? Did you call the police? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but what about you. That bull said you were sick, was that true?" Lily was confused when Adam laughed.

"Sick? Really? That's, uh, one way to put it." Wolff adjusted the beanie he was wearing. "When he said sick, he didn't happen to mention the tranquilizer dart did he?"

Lily was really concerned now. "He what?"

"Don't worry, really. I'm fine now." He walked over to the wall and grabbed the squeegee. After dipping it in the soapy water, he went to work on wiping his windows.

Lily went back to the jack. After she finished pumping it up, she pulled out a pocket pressure gage to test if there was any pressure at all in the tire. There was none. After rotating the wheel, she saw the nail that was stuck in the tire. She began to remove the wheel so she could change the tire. Lily looked over to Adam once she had yanked the wheel off. She watched as he methodically washed his windows by scrubbing, scraping, wiping the squeegee with a paper towel, and repeating the process over again. "Are you sure you're alright Mr. Wolff?"

"Hmm?" Adam looked over to Lily and smiled. "Oh yeah, wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened to me. I _am_ still alive."

"Okay." Lily felt a little better hearing Adam say it himself, that he really was fine. She carried on, and rolled the wheel over to the tire changer. She leaned on one crutch while she used her free arm to hoist the tire up to the machine. Going through the regular motions of breaking the bead and dismounting the old tire, Lily was able to replace the old tire in less than all of four minutes. While she did this, Adam waited patiently.

"Can I buy you lunch?" Adam scratched the back of his neck.

"Lunch?" Lily was a bit surprised. At first she took Adam Wolff as a friendly sort of guy who just liked talking. Then he does this. Lily had met _males_ in the past that asked to take her on dates. Well he said lunch and not a date, Lily thought. Adam's lack of concern for the theft of his truck gave her a rapidly growing image of Adam trying to be all macho, but there seemed to be more to it. "You're asking me?"

"Yeah, just lunch. It wouldn't be anything special, just a quick bite. You know?" Wolf adjusted his beanie again.

Lily concluded that Wolf _was_ one of the biggest dorks she had ever met. "Okay." She cracked an awkward smile. "Will you help me put the wheel back on." Lily started rolling the new tire.

"Are you sure?" Adam's response was not what Lily expected.

"Yeah, help me and I'll go get lunch with you." Lily continued to watch Adam as she rolled the wheel over to its original spot. She noted that all he did was lift the tire onto the axle while she fastened the nuts onto the bolts. Lily slowly lowered the jack and rolled it out from under the truck. "Let me punch out for my lunch break." As Lily turned around, she saw Kit giving her the thumbs up.

The drive to lunch wasn't too much to speak of. Lily did what any passenger would do in a stranger's vehicle: she looked at everything. The cabin of Adam's truck was small. It could fit three animals of their size, but tightly. It was pretty plain with the same grey interior that all older cars seemed to have. A pina colada air freshener hung from the rear view mirror. The scent was strong enough for Lily to actually enjoy. There was a marked up road map sticking out of the slot in the doors.

It was no luxury coach, but Lily didn't mind that. It was almost like seeing a scene in a museum. Everything about the truck seemed simple and true like a display in a museum. There was no extremes about the truck. It was simply comfortable.

Lily was curious to see where Adam was taking her for lunch. She almost expected him to take her to Cubway Sandwiches. The truck stopped outside of what seemed like a hole in the wall kind of place. It was very retro and made to look like an old diner. "Spanky's Eats?"

Adam parked his truck across the street. "It's been awhile since I've been here. You?"

"I've never been here," Lily admitted, "but I'm open to new places."

Their entrance into the diner was like any other customers' until a pig in a white shirt and checkered apron turned around to greet them. "Adam! And company! It's been too long!" The pig rushed towards Adam and lifted him into the air with a painful hug.

Adam kept laughing at the sound of his back cracking. "It's good to see you too Junior."

Junior set Adam down. "And who would this lovely leopard be?"

"Lily Clawhauser." Lily pulled her arm out of her crutch to shake hands with Junior. "Adam is buying me lunch."

"Great! Well then, what'll you two have to eat?" Junior pulled out a notebook and pencil from the pocket on his apron.

Lily shrugged her shoulders when she looked at Adam. "What's good?"

"Okay." Adam smiled. "We'll have heart attack on a rack with green tails on the side."

Junior wrote that down. "Want some garden sauce with those green tails?"

Adam nodded. "And also, two watering holes, thanks."

Junior guided them to a booth before running the order into the kitchen. A sheep waitress quickly rolled out on skates and set down a metal pitcher and two glasses of water. Adam quickly took up one of the glasses and nodded a thank you to the waitress.

Lily picked up the other glass. "Watering holes, huh?" She thought about how Adam acted back at the garage. "Can I ask you a question Mr. Wolff?"

"Anything." Adam set his glass down and shifted his attention, very clearly, to Lily.

"Back at the garage, you seemed a bit reluctant to help me until I asked you. Even then, you seemed hesitant." Lily watched as Adam's expression drooped a bit with discomfort.

"Well, I like to be careful around animals. I want to show respect for everyone. I know with your leg that work must be hard. But," Adam stopped to scratch the back of his neck. "I didn't want to, uh, I'm trying to figure out how to put this in words."

Lily believed she understood what Adam was saying. "You didn't want to make me feel helpless."

"You're not!" Adam buried his face in his paw for yelling that. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I meant…"

"I know what you mean." Lily felt a pain in her chest. Adam wasn't what she expected. She realized that he was conscious about how he treated others. His character was becoming more clear than before. "Thank you for trying to treat me like a normal person." Lily's spirits lifted when she saw Adam's face settle with a cautious smile.

"Sorry, I'm still getting used to this." Adam let out a short laugh.

Lily raised a brow. "Having lunch with friends?"

"No, uh, making new friends. It's not exactly my expertise." Adam adjusted the beanie over his head.

"You're doing good so far, Mr. Wolff." Lily gave him a friendly smile.

The booming voice of an even larger pig burst through the kitchen doors. "Adam! Junior told me you were here. It's been awhile! How's your son?"

"Hi Spanky, Daniel is just fine." Adam stood up to endure another back cracking hug.

"Ah ha! You know, in all the years that I've known Adam here, he hasn't changed a bit. Great kid!" Spanky gave Adam a noogie through his beanie.

"You haven't changed either!" Adam gave Spanky a poke in the belly.

"Hey now!" Spanky let out a hearty laugh. "Never trust a skinny chef. If he doesn't try his own food, it's probably because he thinks it's nasty. Just saying, I try all my food! Why? Because it's delicious, of course! I'll be sure to deliver your meal personally." With that, Spanky turned back to the kitchen.

"He's, uh, very friendly as you probably noticed." Adam sat back down in his seat.

Lily was still smiling from the experience with Spanky, but something troubled her. "You have a son?"

"Yeah. Daniel. He's a good kid." Adam got this big old grin that was like all the grins Lily had seen fathers have when they talk about their sons.

"Is there a Mrs. Wolff?" Lily saw a hollowness in Adam's expression.

"No." Lily was struck by how blunt Adam was when he said that. "I never married." Adam pulled his wallet out and pulled a picture out of one of the flaps. "Here." He handed the picture to Lily. "That's me and Daniel on our last camping trip."

Lily studied the picture carefully. She almost gasped from seeing Daniel. "He's a deer."

"Yeah, I adopted him when he was only a year old. He's six now. Raising him him was the best five years of my life. So far." Adam watched Lily as she examined the picture.

Lily turned the picture over to see writing on the back. "Father & Son's campout." She handed the picture back. "Does he go to school?"

"Oh yeah. He loves school. He can't get enough of it. I read with him. He likes that too, reading." Adam hadn't noticed Lily was staring at him with her chin resting on a paw.

Lily felt herself melting inside when she listened to Adam talk about his son. Adam told her about all the different things Daniel liked. She listened as he explained the how he helped his son get over the fear of thunder. "I told him. You know, Daniel, thunder is just the sky farting." Lily laughed at that. She broke out of this fixation when Spanky burst through the kitchen doors again, with a tray in his hand. "It looks like our food is here."

"There you go. Just call for me if you two need anything." Spanky marched back into the kitchen after setting down the tray of food.

Lily looked at the tray. "Biscuits and gravy?"

"I know, not the most appealing idea for lunch, but once you try these, you will never eat biscuits and gravy at another restaurant. And there's some fried zucchini and ranch." Adam picked up one of the forks on the tray and started to eat. "As you can see, Spanky's idea of one serving is really like two."

Lily was a little unsure at first. She realized that she had never really eaten food like this before, but she was never afraid to try something new. Carefully Lily used the other fork to cut out a piece of biscuit and gravy and took a bite. "Woah." Lily's face lit up with a reflection of the pure goodness that was food. "This is delicious."

Adam smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

After they had finished lunch, Adam drove Lily back to the garage in a timely fashion. As Lily thought about the experience, she became increasingly more and more curious about who Adam Wolff really was. It was like a puzzle or a game even. She was trying to fit all the pieces together. "Thanks for lunch Mr. Wolff." Lily saw the garage from inside Adam's truck, but for some reason she lingered.

"Is something wrong Miss Clawhauser?" Adam let his grip from the steering as he turned to face Lily.

Lily was afraid to speak. The cause of her silence was her realization about Adam. She had just become painfully aware of the absence of Adam's tail. But, she didn't want to say anything. "I think we should do this again. I mean, we should talk again."

A smile tugged at the corners of Adam's mouth. "Another lunch?"

Lily stared at the beanie that Adam wore. She wondered what else he was hiding. "How about dinner, this Saturday at my cousin's apartment? He's making his famous lasagna."

"Sounds good." Wolf nodded.

There was something about the small excitement in the tone of Adam's voice that made Lily feel warm inside. It was a feeling like the positive feedback you get from a person who's happy because they're having the best day ever. "Great." Lily saw the way he looked at her. Adam had the look of someone who hadn't seen another animal in years, like a castaway when he sees the face of his rescuer. "Meet me here Saturday after six when my shift ends."

"It's a date." Adam's smile disappeared as he began to fumble with his words. "I mean, I didn't mean like a _date_ date, I meant, you know! Calendar and all! Uhh." He grabbed at his face with his paws. "I just need to stop talking now."

Lily laughed at the sight before her. A dork. In school she had read books about animals like this. The other girls talked about how they would _so_ go out with someone like that, and then they never really would. It was sad really. But, she wasn't like other girls in school. She always imagined having a big strong leopard by her side. "It's a date."

"Wait," Adam had calmed once he heard what Lily said, "a date? As in a date."

Lily smiled. "A _date_ date."

Adam furrowed his brows. "What does that mean."

"I guess we'll both find out when you come have dinner with me and my cousin." Lily opened the door and stepped out. "See you then." After waving goodbye to Adam, Lily watched as he carefully exited the garage while waving back.

Lily punched back in to finish her shift. Kit peppered her with questions, but Lily just ignored her friend. She was keeping her in check. Lily knew Kit hated not knowing anything. Kit would do whatever it takes to know the truth about anything she wanted to know about. In that mindset, Kit was prone to a friendlier state. That's exactly how Lily wanted it. And, there was something pleasing to Lily about having a secret. Adam was her secret puzzle she was working on.


	6. Chapter 6

Whiplash

Chapter 6 "Confusion"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

It was dark. Judy sat with her back against the wall nearest to the driver of the van. A number of other cops and FBI agents lined the inside. Judy checked and double checked her tranquilizer gun. Agent Savage, who was in the passenger's seat of the van, chuckled a bit when he saw Judy nervously handling her side arm. "Officer Hopps? You okay back there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nick's with Bogo, right?" Judy heard a few snickers from her fellow officers.

"Yeah." Savage looked forward through the windshield to see if they were almost there. "Their van is entering at the south entrance. We're entering through the north entrance."

Judy shook her head a bit as she laughed. "Of all the places. A warehouse in Outback Island."

"Everything is legal in Outback Island." Savage was joking of course, but it wasn't wrong to say the enforcement of certain laws were lax there.

"Except when it comes to federal crimes." Judy smiled.

"You're one smart bunny officer Hopps." Savage checked through the window again. "Here we go everyone! Get ready!"

The van stopped. Every animal readied their tranquilizer guns. The doors rolled open and they all jumped out systematically to provide better coverage of the area. Judy followed close behind the wall of agents and officers. In the short distance up ahead, she could see where two other vans had driven through on either side so that there was an entire sweep of the area. A number of guards around the warehouse had been apprehended. Half or more of the entire force remained outside while the rest closed in on the warehouse.

Judy followed as the large garage door to the warehouse was opened. Sparks flew from the door's control panel where an agent had installed a decoding device. As the door rose, aisles of cars were revealed. They were new, old, and varied in size and shape. Their common ground was the fact of their cost. "Classic cars, sports cars, iconic limited runs…" The sound of Nick's voice alerted Judy to his presence.

"Let's see if they actually belong to this guy." Judy spotted movement in an office room that was adjacent to the entrance wall. "Over there!" Yelling in the room escalated.

The door to the office burst open revealing a raccoon in a pinstriped suit cowering behind an armed bodyguard. The bodyguard raised his dart gun.

"Judy! Look out!" Nick jumped in front of Judy and fired his tranquilizer at the bodyguard. He hit his mark and the guard went down.

Judy smiled when agents rushed to the raccoon and handcuffed him. "Nice shot Nick. Nick?" Judy watched as he began to shake.

Nick's hand was shaky as he pulled a dart out of his arm. "Poi- Poison." Nick smacked against the cement ground as he fell over.

"Nick!" Judy rushed to his side and rolled him over. He was shaking bad. "Get the medic!" Judy pat Nick in the face until his eyes opened. "Nick! Stay with me Nick."

Nick let out a short laugh through the chatter of his teeth as a weak smile grew into place. "Looks like you owe me lunch this time. Heh."

A polar bear and a zebra with medical kits rushed over to their side. One immediately asked, "What did he get shot with?"

"This!" Judy handed the poison dart to the medic..

The zebra grabbed the dart and read the serial number on the canister. "BNL - A113. Do we have a counter for that Mich?"

The polar bear yanked out a serum and extracted it with a syringe. "Right here, Sue."

Judy watched as they injected the antidote into Nick's arm. Within a few seconds, he stopped shaking. It almost was hard to believe how fast it worked, but Judy couldn't deny what she saw. It was borderline with the idea of a miracle. "What is that stuff?" Judy watched as the medics packed up. She tried to glimpse into their bags to see what else they might have been carrying.

"Stuff hospitals can't afford." The zebra pulled out a small rolled up blanket. "Put this under his head. He's gonna be loopy for a bit, but other than that he should be fine. We'll get him to the hospital when he's ready to move."

Judy rubbed Nick's cheek to wake him up again. "Nick. You okay?" It was a close call. It was too close for Judy. The idea that her partner would take a dart for her made her feel cold inside. She never wanted anyone to protect her life at the expense of their own.

Nick's eyes gradually opened. A quiet cough was followed by a grunt of pain. "Juby?"

Judy was relieved that Nick was responding. "Yes, it's me Nick." Judy held her paw over his chest. His heart rate was a little fast, but it was slowing down to a more natural rate. Judy thanked goodness that her partner was alive.

"Juby," a goofy grin reflected the effects of the antidote, "Juby prettay. Hee." Judy let out a sigh of relief. "Why cry Juby?" Nick wiped away the tears Judy hadn't noticed from the shock of what had just happened.

Chief Bogo rushed up to see what happened to Nick. "Is he all right?" Kneeling down on a knee, Bogo looked over Judy's shoulder. "You okay Wilde?"

"Bogy prettay…" Nick yawned.

Judy laughed. "He's going to be alright Chief. He's just suffering from some side effects."

Savage stepped up behind them. "What? I told you I'd protect your officers. Our medics are always prepared for the worse." Savage motioned Judy to follow him over to the raccoon in the suit. "Your boss still doesn't trust me."

"Why is that?" Judy watched the raccoon as they approached him. A grin on his face alluded to a self confidence. He thought he wasn't going to get caught. Judy was not about to let this guy get away with anything.

"Well, I have a reputation for being spooky." Savage began to clap as he approached the raccoon. It was one of those long and slow sarcastic claps that carried a deeper insult. Clap slow for the slower minded to catch up with your humor. "Well, it's been said before. All empires fall. And now, it's your turn Mr. Cooning."

"I don't know what you're talking about mister. But I'll tell you, when I get my lawyer on the phone, you'll be under arrest for searching my property without a warrant! Looks like I got the last laugh. Ha!" Cooning laughed up at Savage's face.

"You mean this warrant?" Savage smiled as Cooning blinked in disbelief. "He who laughs last thinks the slowest."Savage maintained a straight face. "And, your very detailed list, of stolen art, we acquired from the police is gonna help us so much when we put you behind bars."

"It won't put me away for long. So what else are you here for? Did you expect to find something? Guess what? You won't find anything here!" Cooning spat at Savage's feet.

"I know." Savage hummed. "But _she_ will. Officer Hopps, do your thing."

"With pleasure." Judy looked over the warehouse. The two agents in the office looked like they weren't having any luck. The cars stood out. There were a lot of cars. Who knows what could been hidden in that many cars. Judy walked over to one and popped the trunk open. There was nothing. "Oh, cheese and crackers." Savage may have made Cooning out to be an idiot, but Cooning wasn't stupid enough to hide anything in a easily accessible trunk.

Then, in the corner of Judy's eye, she saw it. She picked up the shipping tag that hung on the outside of the car's door. It was a record of where the car had shipped from. Most importantly, Judy noted the multiple trips and the weight of the of the car between those trips. That's strange, Judy thought, the weight changes. Her ears shot up with a realization. "Tear them apart!"

Savage tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"In the cars. Literally. I believe there is something hidden inside the cars." Judy watched as three agents with tools stepped in to dismantle the car. With a tug and a pull, the first panel popped off to reveal a plethora of hidden contraband.

Savage let out a happy cackle. "Mr. Cooning, you are going to prison buddy!"

"You laughed last!" Cooning growled at Savage.

"No. I had final laugh." Savage motioned two agents two assist him. "Let's get him out of here." Along with the agents and two more officers, he escorted Mr. Cooning away.

Judy looked at the various items that had spilled out from the open panel. A small package caught her eye. It was some kind of blue powder that was tightly wrapped in plastic. There was a small label that was tucked in the corner of the package. "NH - 042. NH?" Judy thought about what it meant.

A commotion broke out between the medics and Nick. "No! No!" He spazzed out and tried to fight off the medics.

Judy rushed over. "What's going on?"

The medics struggled but managed to get a hold of Nick. "We don't know, he just started freaking out. He's still under the influence of the antidote.

Nick saw the package in Judy's paw. "Nah! Naw ta nigh howers! Night howers!" The medics struggled to get Nick strapped down to a stretcher so they could carry him out of there. All the way, Nick kept screaming at the top of his lungs.

Judy's ears drooped as her friend, and partner, was carried out that way. Looking back at the package she held, she thought about the meaning of the label. "NH… Night howers?" Judy shivered at the idea of what she was holding and why Nick reacted the way he did. "Night Howlers!" Judy ran back to the teams that were starting to dismantle the cars. "Everyone! Take extra precautions when you handle these blue packages. They're possibly loaded with a dangerously concentrated form of the night howler formula." Immediately, another set of agents pulled on protective hazmat gear to handle the packages and place them safely in special storage containers.

"Hopps!" Bogo called Judy over to a car that was almost finished being dismantled. "What do you make of this?"

Judy looked at the strange object. Right where the engine of the stretched car should have been, there was a transparent rectangular box. It appeared to be empty. "I have no idea." Judy looked around it. "It's sealed completely shut." She noticed a strange metallic box that was mounted on the side.

Bogo knocked on the box. "It's tempered, and possibly sound proof."

Judy moved in closer to get a better look at the metallic box. There was a timer on the side. "Four… Three… Two…" Judy jumped back as a green gas began to fill the transparent box which began to shake. "Oh my," Judy covered her mouth when she saw what looked like a paw print appear from inside the transparent box. But, the box was empty.

"Back up." Savage stood between Judy and the strange box as agents covered it up with a yellow tarp. "This is now property of the Federal Burrow of Investigation. Anything else we'll release, but this is off limits."

"Why?" Judy's nose twitched as Savage scowled at her.

"Some things, should be never be known about." Savage pointed in Bogo's face. "This is classified. Make that clear to your officers. If any of them speak of this, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear, Chief Bogo?" Bogo nodded. "Good." Savage waved them off, but not before handing Judy a card.

"He's a bit, Spooky." Judy stayed close to Bogo as they were ushered away by two agents. She looked at the card Savage gave her. "Why did he give me a phone number?"

"That's his way of saying he owes you a favor. Savage has some connections in high places. I'd be careful if I were you. A favor like this is not to be wasted." Bogo looked back at Savage, who watched over his fellow agents as they moved the mysterious box that legally didn't exist anymore. "Use that phone call wisely."


	7. Chapter 7

Whiplash

Chapter 7 "Way Back Home"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick rubbed the sore shoulder of his left arm which was resting in a sling with a brace on his wrist. "What kind of drugs was I on?" Nick nudged Judy with his good arm. She was staring out the window of the train they were on. "Carrots?" She had been quiet ever since they boarded the train. "Judy!"

"What?" Judy let out a sigh, realizing that she had been ignoring Nick. "Sorry Nick, I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"I thought the purpose of visiting your family was to catch a break." Nick saw Judy avoid his gaze. "We're not going just for kicks and giggles, are we?"

"I may have told a little white lie." Judy laughed with a sheepish grin. Nick's doctor had told him to get some rest and even spend some time in a place where there was plenty of fresh air. Judy figured her family would be glad to let Nick stay on their family farm for a couple of days. "Remember what I said about knowing an expert on whips?"

"Yeah," Nick remembered when she briefly mentioned it on the first day of their investigation, "what about it?"

"My dad has a friend from school who's kind of a history nut, and he has some training with whips." Judy remembered her dad's friend, an eccentric kangaroo, who could talk for hours about nothing but history. She remembered how she and her siblings used to call him uncle Harrison. He had been invited to several family reunions and parties because of how tight knit he was with her father. He was practically family, and he was no stranger to doing tricks with whips for entertaining the little ones. "I think he can give us a better idea of what we're dealing with."

Nick looked out the window to see Bunny Burrows coming up fast in the distance. "Oh, so we're multitasking?"

"Yeah." Judy picked up her bag. " _You_ get rest, and _we_ get information. It's a win win for both of us."

The train gradually slowed down to a halt. As it came to a complete stop at the quaint little train station, the train's doors opened and its passengers spilled out. Some greeted old friends while others were catching rides in taxis. Judy rushed out, excited to see her family again, while Nick trailed behind her. He watched as Judy jumped into her parents embrace.

"Oh! I missed you two so much! How's the farm doing?" Judy stood back to see her parents faces.

"Things are great! The crops are growing real good this season." Judy's mother, Bonnie, was just about the sweetest mother Judy could have asked for. If Judy's compassion had come from anywhere, it was her mother's compassion she inherited.

"So, Jude the dude, how's police work and all that?" Judy's father, Stu, was different from her. He was friendly, of course, but his life goals were more down to earth as he was content with being a farmer. Regardless of his less than enthusiastic attitude of Judy being a cop, he was proud of all his daughter had a accomplished. "You're partner doesn't give you much trouble, does he?"

"Dad. We talked about this. Nick is a responsible and respectable officer, just like the others at precinct one." Judy knew her father had a bit of a trust issue with foxes before she joined the ZPD. She had assumed that he put all that behind him when he began working with Gideon Grey. "Just because he's a fox, that doesn't make him any less of an animal than you."

"Oh, no." Stu laughed. "Nothing like that." He began to whisper to Judy, "You know cause he's a guy, and you're a girl. I'm not judging the fact that he's a fox but-."

"Dad!" Judy held her hands up in protest. "It's not like that. We're partners. Our relationship is completely professional."

Stu tapped his chin. "So there _is_ a relationship."

"No, dad!" Judy stepped back to take a breath so that she could calm down. "If anything, we are just friends. Please, just leave it at that."

Nick finally sauntered up to their little scene. "Hi. How's it going? I'm Nick Wilde." Nick shook hands with Judy's father and mother. "You know, Judy told me all about you guys. And I have to say, you guys raised her well. I'm glad to know her. I also brought you two some gifts."

Bonnie watched as Nick used his good arm to pull out an orange crochet scarf. The moment Nick handed the scarf to Bonnie, she realized what it was shaped like. "A carrot scarf. Aw, how nice of you." Judy became nervous because she was not aware of Nick bringing her parents gifts.

Nick handed Stu his gift. "A fox taser?"

"Yeah, so you feel safer having me around." Nick burst into laughter as he pat Stu on the shoulder, who let out a nervous laugh. Judy buried her face in her palm feeling embarrassed by both her parents and Nick.

They made great time walking all the way to the Hopps family farm. It was exactly what you could expect from a farm. There were crops and of course living arrangements for Judy's parents and all two hundred and seventy five of her brothers and sisters.

"Sorry Judy, but we rented your room out, and Harrison is staying in the guest room. I hope you and Nick don't mind sleeping in the bunk rooms with the rest of the kids." Stu led them both into a larger room where the walls were lined with bunk beds. A lot of the children were in the room playing, swinging around the bunk posts and all.

They all stopped when they noticed Judy. "Judy!" They all said simultaneously. In one instant, a sea of fur and ears surrounded Judy as all her younger brothers and sisters group hugged her.

"Aww, I missed you guys!" Judy looked around and took notice of how handsome one of her brothers had become and how tall one of her sisters had gotten. "Oh! Guys. This is Nick, my partner on the police force. Be careful, his arm is hurt."

All the little rabbits slowly moved around him. They didn't usually see foxes in their home. Nick froze. When he saw how energetically they hugged Judy, he didn't know what to expect. "Hi."

From behind the crowd of children, a small girl holding a book stepped forward. "Judy's partner? Can you read us a story?"

"Well, uh," Nick chuckled nervously, "how about, I tell all of you a story tonight, before you all go to bed."

The little girl hugged the book in her grasp a little tighter. "Thank you."

Stu heard the front door open. He knew that was Harrison coming back and that Nick and Judy wanted to talk to him. "Okay kids, Judy and Nick are gonna be busy for awhile so hold tight." Stu paused for a bit. "Wait just a darned minute. Did you all finish your homework?" All at once, a majority of the kids pulled out notebooks and began to work on their unfinished homework. "That's what I thought."

Judy and Nick headed out into the hallway where they were met by a kangaroo in a bright red polo shirt. "Hey Judy! Good to see ya!"

"It's been awhile Harrison." Judy looked to Nick. "Oh! This is my partner Nick Wilde. Nick, this is Harrison Roo."

Nick smirked. "How do you do, Roo?"

"Pretty slick, Nick." Harrison clicked his tongue and pointed at Nick with both paws.

Nick nudged Judy in the side. "I like this guy already."

"So, you two want to know something about whips? Follow me, I got a whole set up on the side of the house." Harrison motioned them to the back door through the kitchen.

On the side of the house, there were a few set ups. One set up consisted of five posts in the ground with a soda can on each post. Another set up including a number of cups and glasses that were arranged specifically. Then to the side, there was a bucket filled with a strange liquid.

"Getting ready to put on a show for my partner, I see." Judy and Nick took a seat on the bench that was behind a red line that was spray painted on the grass.

Harrison opened a trunk and pulled out what Nick understood to be a whip. "It's also a refresher for you Judy. I gotta warn you Nick, this bunny can be full of piss and vinegar sometimes. She gets that from her father."

Nick laughed at the idea of Judy's reserved father being full of piss and vinegar. "Is that right?"

"Oh yeah, I met Stu when we were both on track doing hurdles. I tell you, he was quite the party animal before he decided to settle down. He wanted to play the saxophone in a jazz band. But once Bonnie stole his heart, there was no going back for him." Harrison unrolled his whip. "Watch this Nickie boy."

With great agility and movement, Harrison whipped a playing card from between two glasses, causing the smaller glass to fall into the larger glass.

The loud cracking sound from the whip surprised Nick and Judy, but both were amused. "Impressive."

"Watch this!" Harrison skipped the other tricks with the cups and went straight to the soda cans. One by one, he used the whip to split each can in half. The bottom half of the last can was still on the post with a bit of soda left in it. Harrison picked up the last can and drank the remaining soda with a bow to Judy and Nick. "And now, the piece de resistance!" He dipped the length of the whip into the bucket up until the handle. Then he pulled out the whip and drew out a lighter. "Don't try this at home kids." Flicking the lighter open, he ignited the whip and kept it swinging in the air until he whipped it in front of him. Nick and Judy could feel the heat from the wave of fire that flew off of the whip.

"Woah!" Nick clapped despite the pain in his arm.

"Thank you." Harrison quickly dropped the whip into a metal pan and smothered the burning whip with a blanket to put out the fire. "This one may have been burned enough that I can toss it. That's not a problem, I got plenty more paracord whips."

Judy's ears perked up when Harrison said that. "Paracord? What else are whips made of?"

"Oh yeah, they're made from all sorts of things. Another whip enthusiast I met once made a whip out of extension cords. But, a _true_ whip is traditionally made from leather like this one." Harrison pulled out a slick brown whip from a special box.

Nick cringed at that thought. "You mean leather as in, animal skin?" Leather was not completely taboo, but it was still an item that was a more acquired taste. Usually, leather came from dying animals who agreed to give up their skin. Nick had even sold a skunk (butt) rug to Mr. Big once. That was just the fur, though…

A serious look took hold of Harrison's face. "I think it's about time I told you two some history about whips and why there's some respect that's demanded for them. You must understand that, though they are capable of some pretty cool and neat tricks, they were once used for evil and also good. Are you familiar with the history of the Puritans?"

Judy's ears went droopy. "Yes. I remember going to the museum will the big barrels of necklaces and wedding rings."

"The cult group of predators that enslaved prey and," Nick couldn't say it. "It's one of the reasons prey don't trust predators." Nick felt the fur on his neck stand up as his frame went rigid.

Judy grabbed Nick's arm, seeing that he was feeling uncomfortable. "That's in the past Nick. It happened a long time ago."

"It still happened." Nick relaxed as he felt Judy's paw rubbing against his shoulder. It helped him calm down.

Harrison pulled a chair up and sat down across from Judy and Nick. "I'll begin with the remember, it's important you understand these were _dark_ animals, in an even darker time, who had no respect for the value of life because they believed they were superior. No one knows who made the first leather whips, but they quickly became favored by the Puritans that were in charge of the slave camps. They made the whips from the slaves. There were children who were beaten knowing very well that the whips were probably made from the skin of their fathers."

"That's horrible." Judy covered her mouth as she held back tears from that idea.

Harrison nodded in agreement with Judy. "It _was_ horrible. But it turned around. You see, whips were used for evil, but there was a famous incident that turned the possibilities around for whips to do good. There were a number of uprisings in these slave camps, but the most successful uprising was in a camp called Wolfenstein. You see, not all predators who were Puritans were treated equally. Survival of the fittest. That was their motto. They did not tolerate weakness. Sometimes they tossed their own into slave camps if they were thought to be too weak.

"Fitzgerald Brown was a Puritan predator, a wolf, who was upstanding and embraced by Puritans and slaves alike. Brown valued life. That's why he treated slaves with respect. But, he was betrayed by a fellow officer who was after his position. Brown was accused of being weak because of his respect for prey. So, he was tossed into camp Wolfenstein. He was made into a slave. Realizing the true horrors that slaves were subjected to, Brown vowed to avenge the prey and tear down the Puritans. So, he coordinated the uprising.

"It was Brown, two other slave predators and four prey animals that lead the revolution in the camp. They smuggled weapons made from trash and anything they could find for the other slaves to use as weapons. Brown and the other six leaders stole the whips. It was Brown who taught them how to use the whips. _You take your justice,_ he would say, _by the skin of your father's_. When all was ready, on a cloud darkened day, the uprising began.

"Systematically, they took down the head officers in secret. Without them, the other Puritans overseeing the camp would lack command or instruction. They weakened them enough that they could rush them. Brown and the others who wielded the whips, disarmed the guards with the whips and cleared the way for the slaves to fight on equal grounds. There were over four hundred slaves in that camp. Nearly three hundred and fifty survived. There had never been that many survivors in an uprising before.

"That event ignited the war on the Puritans to take them down. The Wolfenstein camp was the first one closed. Of the eight remaining camps, Brown regrouped with his six fellow escapees that used the whips, to lead the attack on three. They were known as Heaven's Seven. And when the Puritans were all captured, they continued practicing with whips. Only, they buried their first whips to put to peace the mammals they were made from.

"They made a sacrifice. They surgically removed strips of skin from their own bodies to make their whips. This became a symbol of their sacrifice, the cost of having a whip, and an extension of the body. They had followers. Together, they brought a justice never seen before to the land all those hundreds of years ago. They were the early version of police. Trust, Integrity, and Honor. That came from them." Harrison sighed. "Animals have forgotten the significance of Brown and what he started."

Judy was overwhelmed by the story she had just heard. "How come I never learned about this in history."

Nick understood the reason why Judy, and himself, had never seen anything about these whip wielding slaves who rose up against a group of prejudice extremists. "Textbooks. We're given the watered down version of history. How much truth do you think the public actually knows or remembers about the night howler case?"

"Nick's right." Harrison shook his head as he unrolled his leather whip. "Even Brown saw that the practice of whips would fade away into fiction. That's probably why he changed his name."

Judy was curious. "What did he change his name to?"

Harrison smiled a sad but seemingly hopeful smile. "He changed his name to Wolfenstein, after the camp he rose from, so that animals would always remember. Some still remember, but it's not taught anymore. I had to find it just to know about it. When I first heard his story, I was inspired. Call me crazy, I know I am. But this whip, I did make from my skin. It's not as bad as it sounds. It's only six plaits, or strands of my hide, but it's good. It's the closest I'll ever get to feeling like like one of the true whip masters of the old times. I know it's crazy."

Judy felt a mix of emotions. Strange? Yes. But crazy? "I don't believe you're crazy."

"Just an old fashioned romantic." Nick added.

Harrison smiled a bit. He swung his whip around over his head. Then, with just the right movement from his arm when the whip was straight out behind his shoulder, the whip came rolling and cracked. The sound of the small string, at the end of the whip, breaking the sound barrier was surreal for the three of them. The crack was like the Lightning from the storm that brewed the day that Brown lead the uprising. Judy, Nick, and Harrison felt in one moment, a swell of emotions surrounding the uprising of Wolfenstein the whip master. Judy almost thought the crack of Harrison's whip echoed the name, "Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein."

Night time had come eventually. Judy was brushing her teeth in the bathroom when she heard something from the bunk rooms. After spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing her mouth, Judy went to investigate. She cracked open the door to see what was going on.

"And then, when the door opened, we watched as Mr. Manchas turned savage from the night howler serum." Nick was telling stories to all of Judy's brothers and sisters. They all sat around with a lantern in the middle. "And just as I thought I was a goner, Judy came and handcuffed his leg to a lamppost. We swung on a vine to safety." Nick saw Judy looking through the door. "She saved my life." All the children released their onslaught of wows and praises for the story. "Alright kids, time to go to bed. I'll tell you more tomorrow."

Judy careful closed the door with a smile and walked over to the kitchen. She grabbed a couple of blueberries from the fridge, but she put them back, remembering that she had just brushed her teeth. Then, from outside, she heard the faint sound of saxophone music playing. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad either. Going out onto the porch, Judy saw her mother sitting on the swinging bench her father had built. "Hey mom."

Bonnie was so enchanted by the music that she almost didn't notice her daughter. "Oh, hi Judy." Judy came over and sat next to her mother. "Stu is playing his saxophone on the tractor. He goes out there so he doesn't wake up the kids."

Judy could see her father. Stu's silhouette was barely visible on the tractor in the moonlight. "Harrison told me about how he wanted to play in a jazz band."

"I know." Bonnie sighed. "But, he wanted to be able to support us too. It was his choice. I'm happy though, that he's pulled his saxophone out of the attic. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. I remember hearing him play in school. Oh, he was the best. He was so passionate with the music he played. He's been practicing again, and I can almost hear the same music as it was when we were younger."

"What inspired him to start playing again?" Judy asked.

"You." Bonnie hummed. "And, he's feeling a bit down, for how he reacted to your brother Jacob."

"Jacob?" Judy couldn't believe it. "What happened?"

"Well," Bonnie sighed, "you know that Jacob was always a little, different. He moved to the downtown area of Zootopia."

Judy remembered how sensitive her father was about his children leaving the farm. "I'm sure Jacob didn't leave because he hated the farm."

"Oh no, it wasn't anything like that." Bonnie took a deep breath as she laid back against the bench. "He found love. His pen pal. He was always writing her letters. And, he finally decided to go find her. Stu, you're father wasn't too thrilled to learn that she was a bobcat."

"Really?" Judy had heard of mixed race couples, but she had never imagined Jacob was like that.

"Yep. And that's why Stu was acting strange around you about Nick. He didn't want to hurt you like he hurt Jacob." Bonnie was almost crying.

Judy embraced her mother in the best hug she could give her. "It's okay mom. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure dad didn't really mean to drive Jacob away." Judy knew her father struggled and was slow to adapting to new ideas. But, she still loved him. She loved him because he was her father, and because he was still trying to learn from his mistakes. Though, Judy believed her father was just not used to outside ideas. "Maybe I'll pay Jacob a visit and help him come to terms with dad. I'm sure he doesn't hate dad. We can patch all this up."

Bonnie wiped her tears away. "That would be nice." Judy hugged her mother one last time before heading inside. Bonnie adjusted the quilt she wore for warmth as she sat on the swinging bench her saxophone player built for her. Bonnie listened to Stu practice on his saxophone in the night. She felt a burst of warmth in her heart as the young rabbit, she married all those years ago, was reborn as he played the first song she'd heard him play when they first met.


	8. Chapter 8

Whiplash

Chapter 8 "Underneath Your Clothes"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily punched out of her shift at the end of the day. Using the restroom on the other side of the office, she changed out of her overalls and grease stained clothes. She pulled out a nicer set of clothes she had brought with her in a bag. It was simple and nothing fancy. Lily put on a black skirt that was free, loose, and came down past her knees, barely covering the fixator on her left leg. After pulling a white shirt over her head, she buttoned up a thin navy blue shirt with small white polka dots and the sleeves rolled up. "Alrighty then."

After making her way out to the curb, Lily looked to see if Adam was there yet. He wasn't. But, only a few seconds passed before she saw his truck rounding the corner. Lily watched as he parked his truck and locked a club on the steering wheel. She noticed what he wore when he stepped out. Adam was dressed in a pair of brown slacks and a light natural green button up shirt. Lily thought he looked like a forest ranger. Then she noticed the black beanie on his head.

"You ready?" Lily asked.

"Yeah." Adam followed Lily up the sidewalk on the way to her cousin's apartment.

Lily watched Adam as he walked. His posture was for the most part straight. His arms hung loose with his hands in his pockets. Puzzle pieces, Lily was piecing them all together. He seemed confident in his stride, but there was a hint of nervousness in his face. Lily remembered Adam's son. "How's Daniel?"

"Good. He's staying at a friend's house. He's friends with my neighbor's son They go to school together." Adam's face seemed to lighten up.

Lily could see that Adam had been thinking about his son. She found it endearing. "Maybe I'll get to meet him someday."

Adam smiled at that. "I think he'd like to meet you."

Lily smiled at that idea. She found herself wondering if Adam had told his son about her, and if he did, what did he say? "It's this place up ahead."

They both approached the small five story building. It was an older building that had a cafe built into the corner. The red bricks on the outside were covered with the wear and tear of age. The steel fire escape was riddled with graffiti murals that were more of a beautiful sight than an eyesore. An occupant's wheat grass garden was visible on one of the window sills.

"Can you hold this for me?" Lily held out her bag that had her old clothes that she was carrying the whole way over. She noticed Adam's hesitant attitude. "Mr. Wolff. In the future, if I ask for your help, it will be because I need it." After she said that, Adam grabbed her bag without hesitation. "Thank you." Lily used a key to unlock the gate that barred the main entrance to the apartment complex. After going down a short hallway, they stepped into a cage elevator that rose up to the fifth floor. Down another hall and to the left was the door to the apartment that belonged to Lily's cousin. "Here we are."

Adam noticed the way the apartment was set up. It looked like the apartment was several smaller apartments that had been joined together. "It's nice that your cousin let you stay here with him."

Just then, an overweight cheetah stepped through the door of the apartment's kitchen. "Lily, the lasagna is on the stove, and the punch is in the fridge." Benjamin Clawhauser, Lily's distant cousin, was a friendly face for everyone. He was easy to describe in a few words. Benjamin was a friendly donut loving cop who was a fan of Gazelle. But as he struggled to button up his shirt, he seemed a little less friendly and more stressed.

"Ben? What's the rush?" Lily watched as Benjamin slipped up his tie and put on his badge. Her cousin was a police officer who worked as the receptionist at the station in precinct one. "You're going back to the station?"

"Yeah, I'm so sorry Lily. Maurice called in sick, because he got food poisoning from a bad banana." Benjamin noticed Adam Wolff. "Oh, you must be Adam Wolff. It really is nice to meet you, Lily talks a lot about you, but I'm afraid I have to be going." He rushed to the door. "Love ya Lily, bye!" With that, Benjamin slammed the door shut after leaving the apartment.

There was a moment of awkward silence that filled the room. Lily let out a sigh as she eyed the lasagna in the kitchen from where she stood. "So, I guess it's just going to be the two of us."

"So," Adam chuckled, "is this a date?"

Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Yes Mr. Wolff. It's a date."

Going through the motions, they both scooped up plates of the lasagna and poured themselves cups of the punch. Sitting down across from each other, they started to eat. Adam's first bite of the homemade lasagna was met with pleasure as his taste buds were surrounded by the warm of pasta, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and the blending taste of tomato sauce. "Wow. This is delicious. I'll have to ask your cousin if he'll share his recipe with me."

"You cook?" Lily asked.

"Oh yeah," Adam smiled at that, "I cook all the time for Daniel. He doesn't mind eating some of the same things twice over, but I try to mix it up as much as I can. What about you? Do you cook?"

A sheepish smile grew on Lily's face. "I can make toast." They both laughed, but only a little. "Maybe you could teach me, Mr. Wolff."

Adam started to laugh. "Maybe."

Lily was confused as to why he laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Oh sorry, it's just that, well, you keep calling me _Mr. Wolff_. I just noticed that you keep calling me that." Adam was a little unhinged because of the expression on Lily's face. "I'd love to teach you!" He mentally slapped himself for blurting that out. "I mean, well I ugh… Uh, I'm sorry."

"You know you're a dork, right?" Lily gave Adam a friendly smile.

Lily's smile helped Adam to let go of the stress that he was tangled in. "Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm working on it. I mean, building a better self confidence, socially I mean." Adam sighed.

"You're doing good so far." Lily said.

Adam looked up from the half eaten lasagna he had been staring at. "Really?"

"Yeah. Well, I can tell you're trying to be careful with what you say. I like that. There's not that many animals, _I've_ met, that care about that as much as you. I think you're the first that I've met, actually." Lily could tell by the smile on Adam's face, that she had made him feel better. They continued eating after that.

When Lily had finished her first serving, she stopped to think about what to say next. She wanted to say something. "I'm too curious sometimes. I forget to let things be sometimes. That's my problem."

"Well," Adam bit his lower lip as he shuffled the last couple of bites on his plate with a fork, "I think it's okay to be a little curious. I mean, you don't know me that much. I'm sure you would like to know more, about me, I mean." Adam took another bite of lasagna and swallowed it. "Ask me anything."

"Anything?" Lily smiled as Adam nodded in agreement. "Why do you wear that beanie?"

Adam froze. A sickness rose from his stomach, but he swallowed the rising pain. He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh as he reached for his beanie. "Please don't laugh." Adam yanked the beanie off, revealing that both of his ears looked like they had been cut short.

Lily held back the shock that rose inside her. She slowly stood up on one crutch and moved around the table to come closer to Adam. Pushing up her glasses, she got a closer look at his ears. "Why would I laugh?" A realization came to her. "Have others?" Lily felt a pang in her chest as Adam clenched his eyes shut with a sad expression emerging on his face. Lily put her free right paw on Adam's shoulder. "I'm not going to laugh." She looked at his ears. Not hearing a sound from Adam, Lily moved her paw up and felt the edges where his ears were cut short.

Adam flinched slightly at Lily's touch. "You, you don't mind?"

"No." Lily let her hand slide over the back of Adam's head and back onto his shoulder.

"My tail is missing too." Adam admitted.

Lily remembered noticing that when he first took her to lunch. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Oh." Adam's breathing began to slow as he seemed to relax. He finished eating the last few bites of his lasagna. Standing up, he almost bumped into Lily because of how close she actually was. He reached over and grabbed her plate along with his to take to the sink. "So, how does your leg feel."

Lily followed Adam into the kitchen. "Not as bad as you might expect. I mean, they have to break the bone each time they extend the fixator. That way, the bone heals a little longer each time. It didn't hurt the first time because I was asleep when they did it. I take medicine. And, as long as I don't put pressure on it, it's fine." Lily sighed. "Though, I've had to deal with this leg for so long, that I've reached the point where I almost want to give up sometimes."

Adam started rinsing the dishes off. "Well, you can't just give up now. I mean, you just started the operation. Only time can tell."

"Time." Lily laughed. "Three months." She noticed that Adam was turned around, leaning against the sink, listening. "As a kid, I wanted to be a dancer. Did I ever tell you that?"

Adam smiled. "You can still learn to dance. As soon as your leg heals, that is." He scratched at the back of his neck. "I wanted to be an actor."

Lily laughed. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," Adam laughed along, "I went to drama club and everything. I took theater for two years. But, I never really went anywhere with it. I wasn't that good at it anyway." His smile slowly fell away from his face. "That, and my parents, they um, well, they were gone all of a sudden. And, things just changed."

"I'm sorry." Lily rubbed Adam's arm. "My dad died a couple years ago. He was having trouble with his heart. I miss him sometimes, but I've got my mom, Ben, and my friend kit. You, you've got your son. You've got Daniel." Lily watched a smile grow onto Adam's face.

"I suppose so. We're both pretty lucky to have some family." Adam hummed to himself.

"Yeah," Lily felt warm inside, "and I guess, maybe, I have you now too." She almost felt bad for admitting that. It was like giving in to some terrible side of herself that was weak, but that thought faded away when she noticed a sincere smile on Adam's face.


	9. Chapter 9

Whiplash

Chapter 9 "I Bet My Life"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick sipped the bitter coffee from his mug. His face scrunched up in anger because of the fact that he didn't put hardly any cream in it. Nick needed to wake up, much to his dismay. Even though the trial was over, Cooning had been sent to prison, and justice had been done, he still had to go to work. He unbuttoned the top button of his uniform because it was choking him. Nick always hated how the top button did that.

Going over to his futon, Nick used the remote to turn on his television. It was old, but it worked. The screen glowed to life and revealed a replay of Cooning being escorted from the courthouse into a prison transport. "And cue the handsome fox in the corner." Nick could see himself on the screen next to Judy. It was strange for him to see his own face on the tv. He laughed when he saw himself look at the camera and make bunny ears with his paw behind Judy's head. Nick took another swig of his coffee as he turned up the volume on the tv.

" _...and all thanks to Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. In other news, a masked hero was caught on film putting a stop to two animals who attempted to rob a corner store last night."_ Nick's eyes grew as he saw the footage from some eyewitness's cell phone. A dark figure used a whip to disarm a knife from one of the animals and wrapped it around the other's leg to trip him up. The camera followed the masked figure who disappeared, riding off on a motorcycle.

Nick heard his phone vibrate on the coffee table. He picked it up, it was Judy. Her voice was slightly distorted over the connection. "Nick! Is your tv on?"

"Oh yeah, I'm seeing it right now." Nick saw the interviewer on scene talking to the eye witness on scene.

" _So I was like, outside, when I heard the commotion from the store. And this guy! He swoops in on a motorcycle like whatcha! And he whips the knife out of the one guy's and and then he gets the other guy, you know? It was awesome!"_ The interviewer struggled to pull the microphone back.

The camera switched to owner of the store. " _I don't know who he is, but I'm thankful he was around. I'm struggling enough as it is, taking care of the family and all. Thanks to this guy, he's a hero really, I got the money back, and I can still feed my family."_ The owner looked directly at the camera. " _If you're watching this. Thank you. Bless you, kind sir."_

"Nick, you still there?" Judy sounded angry. "Get to the station as soon as possible!"

"Yeah, I hear ya, carrots." Nick hung up his phone. He looked back at the screen. The image that was frozen was blurred, but Nick could still make out the whip that was wrapped around the thief's wrist, his knife falling to the ground.

Nick finally made it out the door and was surprised to see Judy in the interceptor parked right there by the curb. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde! You weren't fast enough!"

Nick rolled his eyes. He knew Judy was really mad when she used his middle name. "I'm coming. What's the deal?"

"We got officers in pursuit of the bull!" After judy said that, Nick rushed into the interceptor. Judy tossed a file to Nick. "They were able to identify him with a clear picture on a traffic camera. Here's what we got on him."

Nick opened the file and saw the name. "Grant Cowden?"

"He's believed to have been homeless for little over a decade now." Judy sped down the road with the interceptor's sirens blaring. They quickly approached the exit ramp that lead to Tundra Town.

"Previous employment," Nick looked at the single job listed, "butler?"

The interceptor rounded the corner and was soon in line with another police interceptor. Cowden was visible on a motorcycle ahead. Judy had learned this part of Tundra Town well enough that she knew a shortcut to possibly cut off Cowden in their pursuit. She veered left down a smaller street which went down and under a bridge that carried the road she was just on. She knew that the road she was on would remain in a straight line while the road Cowden was on curved and eventually connected with her road at an intersection. Judy sped up, hoping to cut him off there.

Judy swerved into place at the intersection. A loud thud echoed after a hurtling mass hit the interceptor. Nick and Judy hopped out with tranquilizers ready. They saw the motorcycle Cowden had been riding, flipped and wrecked. Cowden was struggling to get back up. Three more interceptors rolled in and effectively blocked any escape from the area.

"Freeze!" Officer Tigre was approaching Cowden with a tranquilizer.

"Wait!" Nick cried out but it was too late.

Cowden pulled a whip out and whipped the tranquilizer from Tigre's paw. By the time Tigre realized what happened, Cowden had wrapped his whip around his legs and yanked him from his stance. Tigre's head hit the cement hard, leaving him unconscious. Nick didn't hesitate to shoot Cowden with the tranquilizer. Cowden snapped around and caught the tranquilizer dart Nick shot at him, but he didn't catch the one Judy shot. Falling to his knees, he wrapped up his whip. Nick couldn't tell how Cowden was able to resist the effects of the tranquilizer for this long. "Take care of this. Please." Cowden's words practically bled from his mouth through his grinding teeth. Finally, he collapsed with his arm stretched out to Nick and Judy.

While Judy rushed to radio in an ambulance for officer Tigre, Nick stepped forward. It was their guy all right. He had the gold band on his horn. Nick picked up the whip. A sharp pleasant smell entered his nose. "Real leather," Nick muttered to himself, "just like Harrison's."

"Nick?" Judy watched Nick as he held the grip tight in his grasp. "What are you doing? That's evidence."

"He asked us to take care of it." Nick could see an angry disapproval in Judy's eyes.

Judy pointed her finger up at Nick. "Nick, that's a weapon. I don't care what he said."

Nick couldn't believe the attitude Judy displayed, especially after all they had learned from Harrison. "This is made from animal hide. Cowden's skin! What would harrison think? What would your father say? He's probably heard it from Harrison. What would he say?"

Judy's scowl grew. "Drop it."

"No." Nick saw a fire in Judy's eyes that frightened him. "What's happened to you?" Without warning, Judy tackled Nick and began throwing punches at his face. Nick tried to grab her arms to get her to stop, but when he grabbed one arm, Judy slammed her elbow down on his chest and knocked the wind out of him. He felt his face slam against the ice cold road as judy pulled his previously injured arm behind his back. Nick barely got enough breath to cry for help. Just as Judy raised both her fists in the air to bring them down on Nick's skull, she stopped.

Judy's arms were still in the air as her ears lowered and she fell off of Nick to the side. When Nicked looked to see what happened, he saw officer Tigre holding his tranquilizer. "Nick, are you okay?"

Nick rolled over and managed to sit up. He groaned in pain. "Never better." His sarcasm remained intact. Nick's gaze wandered over to Judy. She was twitching as one of her arms reached for the tranquilizer dart in her side. Judy yelped as she yanked out the dart. She started to shiver. "Someone radio in another ambulance!" Nick knelt down next to Judy. "It's going to be okay Judy. Everything will-," Nick was cut off by Judy's foot which kicked him in the jaw. "Everybody back up! Give her some space." Nick heard an ambulance siren in the background. Looking around, he saw Cowden still unconscious and Tigre directing the ambulance crew over to Judy.

"Not me, she needs to go first." Tigre grabbed a gauze pad and some bandages from one of the crew and self wrapped his head.

Nick watched the ambulance crew strategically get a hold of Judy and tie her down to the stretcher. Nick waited with Tigre until the second ambulance came and picked both of them up. The crew checked Nick out on the way to the hospital. Aside from some bruising, he was fine. Tigre was a different story however. They had to make sure he wasn't suffering from a major concussion. Once they got to the hospital, Tigre was carried off to a different part of the hospital while Nick frantically questioned passing nurses about Judy's presence but to no avail.

"She's fine Nick," Nick didn't expect to see Agent Savage, "well, she's going to be fine."

Nick could see past the act Savage was putting on. "What's wrong?"

The smile on Savage's face fell as he got closer to Nick. He whispered. "This conversation never happened. Understand?" Nick nodded. "Good. Now listen. Someone is trying to sabotage your investigation. Why? I can't say."

Nick thought about this. It frightened him, but he knew he had to keep his head. Questions, that was important. Get the facts, he told himself, the facts that don't legally exist. "Suppose, this is just speculation, but suppose something else was wrong with Judy. Would the FBI know anything about that?"

A slight smile dawned on the corner of Savage's mouth. "Hypothetically, if the FBI had looked into it, they might have found a trace amount of Night Howler serum in the coffee mug on Judy's desk."

Nick's ears splayed back as the fur on the back of his night stood on end. He felt his heart rate quicken. Nick's fear was growing. To think that, his best friend and partner Judy, she was poisoned by that stuff. Nick felt as if ants were crawling under his skin.

"Nick!" Savage shook Nick out of his state. "Just know, you two always have a friend at the FBI. Here, take these." He handed a manilla envelope to Nick.

"What's this?" Nick opened the envelope and pulled out a phone that was inside. "A burner?"

"Your contact. And the other documents in that envelope, those are your warrants and other papers you might need." Savage was about to turn away and leave.

"Wait!" Nick caught his attention, but Savage didn't turn to look back. "How big is this situation?"

Savage shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know."

Nick let out a sigh as he nodded. "Because, this conversation never happened."

"Exactly." With smile that Nick couldn't see, Savage continued down the hall to leave the hospital.

Nick shook his head as he made his way to the waiting room. He opened up the envelope to look at the contents inside. They were exactly what Savage said they would be. However, a specific name puzzled Nick. The document was a record of an event. "The Wolfenstein Massacre?" Nick tucked the papers back into the envelope, not wanting to see anymore. He sat there, saying nothing. Tigre's partner was sitting in the row of chairs adjacent to him, but he still said nothing. He felt drowsy. With all the excitement, Nick's body had burned through his coffee. Though, he had only taken a few sips anyway.

The waiting room was depressing. Nick couldn't stand the smell. The scent, thick in the air, seemed to rise and suffocate everyone like gas. But, there was not gas. It was just the after smell of the cleaning solution that the hospital used. Sterilized, that was it. The air was sterilized so the sick animals didn't get other animals sick. Nick imagined the germs flying out with each sneeze, only to die was they reached the air. That's what he imagined. There was a small girl, a squirrel, wheezing. Nick thought she was going to choke on the sterilized air, and an image of Judy gasping for her last breath entered his mind. Nick grabbed at his ears, trying to distract himself from that idea. The image disappeared when he looked up to see the little girl save herself with an inhaler.

Hours must have passed. It made sense. They must have. That, or the hour and minute hands on the clock were switched. That didn't make sense. Hours though, passing made sense.

Nick noticed two figures rushe in through the door to the waiting room. It was a rabbit and a bobcat. The rabbit seemed really agitated as he rushed to the desk shouting about something. Nick saw the nurse at the desk trying to calm the rabbit down. She wasn't the only one. The bobcat, she was petting the rabbit's head and effectively calming his storm. Nick saw the rabbit begin to cry. His ears perked up as he made an actual attempt to hear the conversation. "My sister, is she okay?"That caught Nick's attention. He made his way over to the two who were walking away from the counter.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to pry, but did you say something about your sister?" Nick thought the rabbit looked familiar. He had never seen him before, but there was a resemblance he recognized.

"Yeah, my sister Judy." The rabbit's tears were wiped away by the bobcat.

Nick smiled a bit. "I'm her partner."

"Really?" The bobcat chimed in. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"I was told that she's going to be fine. That's what's important." Nick felt a ounce of guilt for not telling them the truth, but he reminded himself that his conversation with Savage technically never happened. He didn't say who told him that Judy was going to be okay, though. "The name is Nick Wilde."

"Officer Wilde, I'm Jacob Hopps." Jacob shook hands with Nick. "And, this is Theodosia Felisia."

"Please," the bobcat laughed, "just call me Theo. Jacob insists on calling me by my full name."

"Because, it's a beautiful name." Jacob grabbed Theo's paw which was hanging over his shoulder.

Nick made the connection between the two. "Oh. You two are…"

"Yes." They answered in unison.

Nick took a good look at the two in a different light. Theo was a head taller than Jacob. It was a little strange the way she rested her head on his. It was almost like a child with a doll. But as Nick thought more about it, the less he thought of it. "How did you hear about Judy?"

"I got a phone call, from my mother. They were called first. Then my mother called on me to go visit Judy because no one else could be here sooner." Jacob gripped Theo's paw in his. "I hope that she's okay."

Nick looked up to see a doctor motioning him over. "Nicholas Wilde?"

"Hold tight, guys." Nick quietly walked over to the doctor. "Hey Doc, what's the verdict?"

The doctor let out a sigh with a smile. "She's going to be fine. Though, we'd like to keep her here for a while just to make sure that there are no other problems." The doctor laughed. "She's feisty one, I'll give her that. She refused to rest, kept calling for you; she wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Sounds about right." Nick looked over to Jacob and Theo. "Doc, is she awake? She's got some family that wants to see her."

"Oh yes, of course." The doctor looked at Theo. "Uh, is she a friend or family?" This always annoyed Nick. He had clearance because he was a police officer. But, he knew that Theo was not going to be recognized as family.

Nick knew the right thing to do in this situation. "She's adopted." He lied. Nick saw no point in making Theo stay out in the waiting room. She technically was family, though. Once when Nick was sitting in the waiting room, a long time ago, he saw a stallion who couldn't see his fiance because they weren't married. When the stallion got the news that his fiance died, it struck a nerve in Nick's mind. He couldn't believe that happened. It was horrible. Nick promised himself that he would never let loved ones be separated if he had the chance. It was one of his secrets that he never told anyone, not even Judy.

"Right this way." Theo, Jacob, and Nick followed the doctor to Judy's room.

A smiled when he saw his partner working on a cup of jello. Judy practically dropped her fork. "Nick?" Turning her head, she saw her brother. A smile grew on her tired face. "Jacob!"

"It's me sis." Jacob ran over to Judy to embrace her.

Theo touched her paw to her heart. "Thank you, Officer Wilde. For helping me back there. Seeing Jacob so happy to see his sister alive, is a great comfort."

"Are you two married yet?" Nick leaned against the wall.

Theo hummed a bit. "Not yet, but," she held up her left paw to show off a gold ring with a small diamond, "he did propose."

"He really loves you, huh." Nick looked over to Judy and Jacob, and knew, they were probably talking about the same thing.

"He is. Really. When we were writing letters to each other, neither of us knew what we were. It was like we were the same animal. And when we first met, face to face, he didn't care what I was. He still saw the one who wrote him letters." Theo smiled and waved to Judy. "He talks a lot about Judy. I should probably go talk to her."

Nick watched as Theo walked over to Judy and Jacob. He laughed as Judy grabbed Theo's paws and pelted her with questions. Girls. Nick laughed. Then, a sad thought crossed his mind. He once had a girl. Ex-girlfriends are terrible, Nick would say. But, that was just his way of trying to forget being hurt. It was a little embarrassing, to be honest. He was one of those few guys that he heard of that actually felt entitled to saying he was the one that was hurt the most. He would never admit that. Nick didn't like showing others that they got to him.


	10. Chapter 10

Whiplash

Chapter 10 "Dirty Paws"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick clutched onto the envelope Savage had given him. He watched over it, he locked it up when he wasn't looking at it, and he might as well have been sleeping with it, with one eye open. He had added a clip on his belt for the burner phone that was in the envelope. The slightest vibrations made him jump. Anticipating the call that would eventually come from the phone, he struggled to distinguish its ring from the vibration that came from his belt which shifted on his waist.

"Stop, it's not ringing. Relax." Nick felt like he was getting worse. "I'm talking to myself. I must be going crazy." He laughed at his nerves which rattled him to the bone. He felt sick, but he wasn't.

Without warning, the phone on his belt rang. Fumbling, and being careful not to knock anything over, Nick eventually stuck the landing. Pressing the cheap green plastic button, he opened the untraceable connection. "Nicholas Wilde?"

"Yeah," Nick swallowed the crack in his voice, "it's me."

"Don't worry Mr. Wilde. It's perfectly normal for animals to talk to themselves."

Nick was afraid to ask how they knew he had said that only moments ago. "What are my marching orders?" He didn't dare ask for a name. It wasn't Savage. He could tell. If they did give a name, it was probably a lie.

"Go to work as usual. Be ready for a promotion. Don't tell your partner anything until you're alone with her."

"Okay." Nick was about to hang up.

"Another thing, Mr. Wilde." He froze from the voice. "Trust no one." With that, an audible disconnection from the other end left Nick with a haunting electronic monotone note.

Nick rode the bus to the police station. Looking around he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of anyone. It was hot. If a lemming so much as flinched, he was on guard. The pressure got to him. Nick could feel the sweat of his back against his plastic seat. He jumped off the bus the moment he was within walking distance of the station. The cool city air brought comfort as it turned the sweat on his back cold.

Nick grabbed his ears as he took deep breaths. "Trust no one." He whispered to himself. "Don't panic. You can trust one person. You can trust Judy." Nick wasn't going to tell Judy about what Savage had told him about the Night Howler in her mug. He felt bad now. Would Judy trust him after not telling her the truth? It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Trust no one." Nick froze as he finally entered the Police Station. "Can I trust myself?"

"Nick!" Judy's happy expression was enough to ease Nick's internal war. "Come on! You're late, and Chief wants to see us in his office."

Nick put on a smile as he followed her to Bogo's office. The room was unusually dark. It put Nick on edge until he noticed that a couple of lights were burnt out. "Love the mood lighting, Chief."

"Amusing, Wilde." Bogo furrowed his brow. He was looking at a binder. "Maintenance hasn't gotten to it yet."

Judy's expression fell as she took note of Chief Bogo's tone. She could tell he was angry. At least, it seemed that way. But, there was also a hint of frustration, and concern. "Is something wrong, Chief?"

"No." Bogo was blunt as he began to chew the inside of his cheek. "I'm giving both of you a promotion."

"Really?" Judy didn't expect this, but Nick struggled to produce a reaction similar to hers since he already knew.

"I'm promoting both of you as our newest Police Detectives." Bogo closed the binder on his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a box. "Return your badges, these will be your replacements." Judy and Nick both picked up their badges. "And, these are the keys to your new designated transport."

Judy looked at the silver badge attached to the leather holder with her photo and information. "Chief, I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing." Removing his glasses, Bogo pointed to the door. "Dismissed."

"Yes sir." Nick quickly made his way for the door, not giving Judy a chance to question anything.

After Judy followed Nick out the door of Bogo's office, Agent Savage stepped out of the dark corner he had been standing in. "Don't worry Bogy old boy."

"This is why I don't trust you." Bogo practically growled at Savage. "You're playing with fire. And! You're throwing my officers in as kindling!"

"Bogy, I promise your officers will be safe. In the end. I don't intend them to be kindling. They're much more valuable than that. Nick and Judy are the poker for this fire."

Bogo scowled. "What does that make you?"

"Me and the rest of my Colleagues are the spade. Hopps and Wilde control the fire, while we clean up the fire like it was never there." Savage pulled out a caramel from his pocket and unwrapped it. "Who knows, maybe Nicholas Wilde would make a great _Agent_." Smiling, Savage popped the caramel in his mouth.

Bogo stood up from his chair. "Get out. Now."

"Sure thing Bogy." Savage was about to leave. He wrapped up the caramel wrapper to throw it away. It missed the wastebasket, but he neglected to notice. Just when he got his grip on the doorknob, he laughed. "Hehehe, it's like only yesterday, when that other spook from the Burrow recruited _me_. But, that was when we were still partners. I guess you got your answer to how Old Chief DeClaw felt." With that, Agent Savage left Bogo alone with his thoughts.

Nick had brought Judy to one of the interrogation rooms. Jumping up, he unplugged the security camera. Judy took a seat while Nick leaned against the wall. Judy noticed the manilla envelope that Nick was holding. "Nick, what did you want to talk about?"

Nick clicked his tongue a couple times. "The case we've been working on is bigger than it looks. I don't know what is going on, but I know it's important. Agent Savage-."

"Savage," Judy interrupted, "what does he got to do with this? Nick, the case was closed. Cowden is serving his time in prison. And the art?" Judy caught herself. "Wait a minute. How did I overlook that?" Her eyes grew in excitement. "What happened to the art?"

"And, I have a theory." Nick sat at the edge of the table adjacent to Judy. "What if Cowden was the wrong vigilante?"

"You sly fox… With the evidence we have against him? Not to mention, the fact that he gave a confession." Judy crossed her arms. "I'd love to see you pull this one out of a hat."

Nick smiled. "Well, while you were on bed rest at the hospital for a week, I did some double checking. Remember how our suspect Adam Wolff had no tail?" When Judy nodded, Nick pulled a photo out of the manilla envelope. "This is an image from the the security footage the night of the robbery. I had Q change some properties and mess with the brightness of the image. Notice anything?"

Judy shook her head with a smile. "No tail. And, no horns. Do you think Adam is the animal in this picture?"

"It's possible. And I think, you were right when you were suspicious of Adam at the beginning of this investigation." Nick hated that he was losing trust in a guy like Adam Wolff, but until this was all over, they had to be cautious. For all Nick knew, it could have been Adam that poisoned Judy with Night Howler.

Judy rubbed her chin as she eyed the security camera Nick had unplugged. "Something's up. Why did you bring me in here to tell me all this?"

"This is off the books." Nick said. "This isn't an assignment from Bogo." He pulled the burner phone from the pouch on his belt and slid it to Judy.

Judy picked up the phone. "Savage?"

Nick nodded. "It seems that we have a friend from the FBI. I think I know why too. I think that our investigation is going off record because Adam might have eyes and ears, connections, that can warn him of any investigations going on. And, there might be something bigger to this."

"That makes sense." Judy smiled. "We're going shopping."

Nick blinked in confusion. "What does shopping have to do with this investigation?"

Judy pinched on her uniform to gesture to it. "It's kinda hard to lay low in police uniforms. And, you are not wearing any of your wretched shirts."

Nick rolled his eyes. "A suit?"

Judy smiled. "A suit."

"Okay." Nick let out a long sigh. "But remember, if anyone asks, these conversations we have about the case never happened."

Nick and Judy both headed out of the interrogation room. Judy held onto the manilla envelope while Nick held onto the burner phone. Passing by Clawhauser, Judy couldn't help but notice how extra cheerful he seemed. "Good day, Benjamin?"

"Oh, you can say that." Clawhauser practically jumped in his chair with glee as he pulled out his phone. "My cousin's been dating this guy. I think they look so cute together! Here look." He flipped his phone to show Judy and Nick, who both automatically recognized the very clear picture of Adam Wolff next to Clawhauser's cousin. "Yeah. I know they're different animals and all, but I think it's kinda interesting."

"You think it's interesting?" Nick smirked. "Is that because you'd like to go on a date with Gazelle?" Judy nudged Nick in the side and gestured again to the picture of Adam Wolff.

"Oh! If only! But," Clawhauser twiddled the fingers of his paws, "she wouldn't be interested in an overweight cheetah like myself."

Judy hated seeing even a little sadness on Clawhauser's face. "Aw, chin up. You never know. Maybe you can still be head of her fan club. You already are her biggest fan."

"You got that right!" Clawhauser laughed as he pat his sides.

"Hey, about your cousin." Nick switched back to the subject. "Doesn't she work at a garage?"

"Oh yeah, she works at that garage, Reina's Repair Shop. It's actually a great place. I've recommended others, and I recommend you to go there. They have great car service. Nothing but the best." Clawhauser wrote something on a postit note and handed it to Nick. "Here's the address to the garage."

"Thank you," Nick tucked the note into his pocket, "oh, look at the time. I'm sorry buddy, but we got to be going." Nick motioned Judy to follow. She waved to Clawhauser as they left the station.

"What was that?" Judy asked."

Nick showed off the address to the workplace of Clawhauser's cousin. "Inside help, carrots."

A few corners later, they found themselves in the motor pool. Judy looked at the license tag on the key Bogo had given them. Looking up she saw it. "I'm driving." The car was a steel grey two door sports coupe. As Judy hopped into the car, Nick stopped to admire the little V8 logo on the side. "It's turbocharged too!"

Nick smiled as he did a slow fist pump to the air. "Yes."

Once Nick was in the car, Judy zoomed off to the nearest department store. She practically dragged Nick through the entrance. Formal wasn't his usual attire. Judy didn't mind ditching her uniform, though, she _had_ gotten used to the neoprene garbs. She thought it would be nice to try something new. She had picked out mostly suits that weren't seriously restricting so that she could still run easily. Her suits were mostly the same except for color. Brown, blue, burgundy, black, and she even got a pink one. To go with her new suits, Judy also got plain white blouses.

Once Judy had paid for her clothes, she changed into her burgundy suit. Walking over to the men's section, she went to check on Nick. "Nick? Where'd you go?" Judy's ears perked up when she heard a depressed groan come from one the dressing rooms. "Nick, is that you?"

"Yeah, carrots. It's me." Nick let out a sigh.

Judy stuck her head against the door to hear better. "What's wrong? Did you pay for your suits?"

"Yeah, I paid for my suits." Nick unlatched the door and let it fall open so Judy could see him. "I look so _professional_. Gross."

Judy laughed. "It's not that bad." Judy looked Nick up and down in the blue suit he was wearing. He looked good. And, she couldn't help but smile at what she saw. "You remember that picture you showed me of your dad?" Judy looked around the bag of ties Nick had bought. She eventually pulled out a purple one and proceeded to tie it around Nick's neck. She left it loose, the way she knew he liked it. "You almost look like him."

Nick was caught off guard by that. He straightened his father's watch on his wrist. "Really?" His half-hearted laugh was almost sad. Looking back at the mirror, he buttoned the top button of his shirt and tightened his tie. Nick tried to imagine the glasses his father always wore. "I guess I do." He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button. He wasn't his father, no matter how much he looked like him. "But, I'm still me." Nick picked up his badge and tucked it into his inside jacket pocket. "Hey, maybe we can get shoulder holsters like James Fawnd." Nick picked up the burner phone and clipped it on his belt. Drawing the phone like a weapon, Nick altered his voice with an accent. " _The name's Fawnd, James Fawnd._ "

"Only, you're not a deer, Nick." Judy rolled her eyes as she looked through the manilla folder while Nick started bagging up all his other suits. "Hey Nick. Did you notice the paper on The Wolfenstein Massacre?"

"Yeah." Nick got all his suits together as he followed Judy out of the store to their car. "I didn't look at it too much."

"I did, while I was changing." Judy tucked the paper back into the envelope. She opened up the trunk and put her clothes in with Nick's. "It was a police report on some gang war that happened a long while ago."

After closing the trunk Nick sat down in the passenger's seat. "How long ago was that?"

Judy opened the envelope to look at the paper one more time. She found the date. "This report was filed about twelve years ago." She hummed to herself as she started the car's engine. "Gang war." Judy repeated that to herself. It gave her an idea. "Nick, do you think Mr. Big would know anything about it?"

"I'm sure he would." Nick pulled his sunglasses down from the visor and slid them on. "We're on better terms now, thanks to you. He even gave me a present."

"Was it a rug?" Judy smiled, but held back her laughter.

In a short period of time, Judy and Nick made it to Tundra Town and down the way that lead to Mr. Big's mansion. The usual two polar bears stood guard to open the gate. All Judy had to do was roll down her window. All of Mr. Big's guards were familiar with the godmother to their boss's grandchild. Once Judy parked the car, a polar bear in a red argyle jacket with glasses approached them.

"How you doin'?" The polar bear wore a gold chain over his turtleneck shirt.

"Oh, we're fine. Thanks. We were hoping to talk to Mr. Big," Judy pulled out her badge to show the bear, "regarding information about a case."

"Okay then, right this way. My name is Koslov, by the way." Koslov lead Nick and Judy to the front door of the mansion.

"Woh, I've never been through the main entrance before." Nick took careful notice of the new sights. The large oak doors that bid them entrance to the mansion were still rich with the scent of their original stain. The main hall was amazing. Paintings and statues lined the wall. And fresh flowers, which were probably arranged by Mr Big's florist Mr. Otterton, brought the little extra bit of eye candy to the whole experience.

"So, Koslov. What exactly is it that you do for Mr. Big?" Judy was curious as Koslov stood out from the usual polar bears that Mr. Big kept around.

"I am Big's financial advisor. He's going clean now. No more crime. Hard to believe, I know, but this true. I just finished helping Big with taxes. Oh boy, and I tell you, that was hilarious. You should have seen his face." Koslov laughed, but only a little. "In all honesty, Mr. Big is real good to me, and my son too. Big took us in as his family. I will say, he is truly remarkable."

Just then a small polar bear cub came running to Koslov. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!"

Koslov picked up the cub in one arm. "Now Morris, what was I telling you about running in the halls?"

"Sorry daddy." Morris looked down from his father. "I just wanted to tell you something."

"Oh, really?" Koslov laughed. "And, what was this that you wanted to tell me?"

"I love you daddy." Morris wrapped his little arms as far as he could around his father.

Judy touched her paw to her heart as an audible "aw" escaped her.

"I love you too, son." Koslov set down morris. "Now, I need you to go off and play. I'm working here." Koslov watched as his son carefully shuffled away up the main staircase. "Kids, huh? Anyway, Mr. Big is in his room. Follow me." Judy and Nick followed Koslov upstairs to Mr. Big's room. "Mr. Big? You got visitors."

Koslov left Nick and Judy alone in the room with Mr. Big, only he wasn't as they expected him to be. Already being used to Mr. Big's short stature, neither Nick or Judy would have thought of seeing him sick, and in bed.

"Ah, the godmother of my grandchild," Big paused to cough a bit. "My apologies for my presence. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about my fading health. You two look like you have questions. Well, I most likely have answers." There was a calmness in his smooth raspy voice.

"Mr. Big, we were hoping to find out more about the Wolfenstein Massacre." Judy held the paper out to Mr. Big.

After reading the first sentence, Mr. Big laughed. "Oh darling, the police don't even know half the story. Gang war? That's all they can say? Pathetic." Both Judy and Nick pulled up chairs to listen to Mr. Big. "I knew the Wolfenstein family. They were good partners in trade. Although, they were no strangers to weird rituals. You know, given the fact that they made whips from their own skin. I admit, they showed integrity. Especially the youngest, the last surviving Wolfenstein.

"The Wolfensteins were friends, you see, with another family. The Doe family. I've always told people to keep their friends close, and their enemies closer. But in this case? They didn't keep their friends close enough. It was obvious that certain members of the Doe family didn't trust the Wolfensteins. Especially young Byron. He was as overprotective as any brother could be. Byron always looked after his sister, Penny.

"Now Penny, she was real good friends with the youngest Wolfenstein. Both of them were only fifteen. Friends. Well, they were a little bit more than friends. And, Byron didn't like that. Byron was so blinded by his hatred of the young Wolfenstein, that he never noticed how sick his sister was.

"Penny was dying, poor child. And that Wolfenstein boy, he was everything to her. No one knows exactly how much they loved each other, but with children, you can assume it was unconditional. Whenever Penny spent time with him, her doctors almost swore she was getting better. She probably would have too, but then it started. The feud.

"Nobody knows exactly what it was that set Byron off. I imagined it was a kiss, but maybe that's just me. Whatever it was, it was enough to push Byron into cutting off the young Wolfenstein's tail and part of his ear. The young Wolfenstein's brothers came. They saved him from Byron, but Byron mortally wounded one of them.

"The tension between families grew. Bodies of Wolfensteins and Does started popping up all over. When Mr. Doe got killed, his wife arranged a meeting with the Wolfensteins to negotiate peace. But, Byron had other plans.

"I'll spare you the gruesome details of that first blood bath. But, it marked the beginning of the war between them. The young Wolfenstein got hit the worst, I think. Not physically, but emotionally, he was destroyed. Penny tried to save him from her brother." Mr. Big pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the tear that had accumulated in his eye. "Can you imagine that? Byron killed his own sister. And, he blames it on the young Wolfenstein.

"So after two weeks of all out war, it came down to Byron and the young Wolfenstein. Byron cut off his other ear. But in the end, it was the Wolfenstein boy that won. There were no legal actions taken on him. Why, you may ask? He killed in self defense. Byron had his father's machete. The young Wolfenstein had a tranquilizer gun, but Byron wasn't going down. It took fifteen tranquilizer darts to the chest to stop Byron."

Judy raised her a paw a bit to interrupt. "Sorry, but what was his name?"

"The young Wolfenstein boy? Oh, his name was Adam, Adam Wolfenstein. Go over to that steamer trunk over there. I might have saved the newspaper clippings from that time." Mr. Big pointed to an old beat up trunk that looked older than him.

Judy opened up the trunk and covered her mouth from the dust that flew from its opening. There were a lot of files, film strips, and newspapers. Within the first stack of newspapers, Judy found it. " _Sole Survivor Found_." Judy put her paw up to her mouth to hide her gasp at the sight of the picture. The black and white picture showed a clear picture of a young Adam Wolff. Judy could see he was on the verge of tears, with his ears bandaged, while he was being comforted by a cop. She recognized the cop. It was Savage. "Nick look. It's Adam Wolff."

Nick looked at the picture. "That's Mr. Wolff alright."

"Wolff?" Mr. Big asked. "So, that's what his name is now. I haven't seen him in so long. You've seen him? How's he doing?"

Nick could see the earnest look on Big's face. "He's doing well. He's got a kid, adopted, but still. He's got a good kid."

A smile spread across Big's face. "Adam was not born great. He was just like any other child looking for his place in the world. I expect you'll see great things from him. Like anyone, he was not born great, but he has grown great. A good blade is always forged in fire. He may not seem like a fighter, but I tell you, he's got the blood of his ancestors in him."

Back in the car, heading into the downtown area, Nick thought about what he heard. Adam Wolff was really Adam Wolfenstein. He was the last of the Wolfenstein family. He was the descendant of the great Fitzgerald Brown who became Wolfenstein. Adam was the end of the line for his legacy. The last one. The idea gave Nick chills. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be the last of anything. Adam had survived one of the bloodiest known gang wars in law enforcement history, he was the father to an adopted child, and he was dating Clawhauser's distant cousin.

Nick tried to think about what he had learned. "Remember how Adam's son said he was gonna protect him from the monsters in his closet?"

Judy nodded as she took the off ramp. "Yeah what about it?"

Nick was starting to piece together ideas about Adam Wolff. "Don't you find it strange that Adam would describe insomnia as monsters in his closet?"

Judy nodded. "Yeah, it is strange," an idea popped up in her head, "but what if he was lying about having insomnia. Maybe he struggles with sleep for another reason, like post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is known to cause sleeping disorders. Maybe _monsters in the closet_ has a different meaning."

Nick knew what it was. "The monsters of his past." Nick could see Reina's Repair Shop coming up fast. But something didn't sit right. "But if the gang related tragedy of his past is what caused his PTSD, then why would he steal art? Theft is a crime, if anything, he would want to stay away from that."

Judy switched off the engine once they pulled into the garage. "Maybe, he did it because he knew it would expose Cooning. Maybe he's fighting crime as some fantasy of fulfilling a vendetta. The Doe family was a family of criminals. But, they're gone."

"Maybe," Nick raised his brow in thought, "he doesn't want what happened to him to happen to others." Nick mentally punched himself for putting Adam in the spotlight as a hero. There was still the possibility of Adam being the one that poisoned Judy. The contradicting facts were getting on his nerves. Then he reminded himself, _trust no one_.

Stepping out of the car, Judy and Nick both saw the friendly face of Lily Clawhauser as she approached them. Her crutches were covered in hot pink duck tape. "Hi there, did you two check in with Kit?"

Nick felt sick. "Woah, woah, woah! Time out. Did you just say Kit? As the fox?"

Lily furrowed her brows in confusion. "Uh, _as in_ she's a fox? Yes she is. Um, who are you?"

The door to the office burst open. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde!" It was Kit, Lily's friend.

"The name!" Nick silently murmured to himself. "Why does every angry female do that?"

"I heard that!" Kit rushed down with steam practically shooting from her ears.

"It's a shame your mouth is as good as your ears!" Nick felt his paws tensing up into fists.

"No Nicholas, it's a shame _your_ mouth is as big as your _ego_." Kit rolled up her sleeves, getting ready to have a throw down then and there.

The only thing stopping Kit from attacking Nick was Lily's crutch. "Hold on, what's going on here."

"Careful Lily," Kit wagged an accusing finger at Nick, "be careful around this spawn of evil!"

Nick put his paws on his hips as he shook his head. "You're one to talk, succubus!"

"You take that back!" Kit eyed Judy who was hopelessly confused. "Who's this Nick? Are _loose_ bunnies your _thing_ now?"

"Excuse me!" Judy pulled out her badge as her foot tapped in anger. "I'd prefer you show more respect to an officer."

Kit shook her head as she laughed sarcastically. "Role playing too? You really know how to pick 'em Nick."

"This isn't funny." Nick pulled out his badge. "It happens to be my job."

Kit went silent the moment Nick pulled out his badge. "I should have known. Just to spite me, is that it? Your a cop now. Great, just peachy!" Kit stormed off to leave the garage for some air.

Lily didn't know what that was all about. "I'm sorry about this officer," she was addressing Judy as Nick had walked off to lean against the wall, "is there something you wanted to talk to someone about?"

"Sorry about Nick, and your friend." Judy pulled out a notepad she carried with her at all times. "I'd actually like to ask you some questions."

"Me?" Lily straightened her glasses. "What do you want from me?"

"Do you know an Adam Wolff? A darker furred wolf, gold eyes, and missing his tail and ears?" Judy readied her pen.

"Oh, yes. Of course I do. We've sort of been dating for a little more than two weeks now. He actually got me this tape for my crutches." Lily smiled at that thought, but soon a worried look took over her face. "Is he in trouble? Is he okay?"

"It's complicated." Judy left it at that. "We need your help." She reminded herself that since Lily was emotionally involved with Adam, she had to be careful. They didn't want Lily to go against them.

Nick let Judy take over on talking to Lily. She had a better track record when it came to dealing with others. He almost jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "What?"

It was Kit. "Hey, can I talk to you outside? Please?"

Reluctantly, Nick forced himself to comply and follow Kit. "Okay. I'm listening."

Kit was a lot calmer than when she confronted Nick earlier. "Listen, I just want to say I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier."

"Don't be. I sort of fueled the fire too." Nick tried to rub away his headache. "I don't think you ever _got_ why I left."

Kit crossed her arms. "Since we're on the subject, why did you leave?"

"I'm sure I probably hurt you when I walked away. But, did you ever think that you hurt me?" Nick rubbed the back of his neck.

"What," Kit scoffed, "because you couldn't handle being closer to me?"

"I told you I didn't want to. I still don't." Nick clenched his fist in his pocket to hide his anger. "That's why I was going to ask you to marry me. But then, you flipped, and I left because I knew it wasn't going to work out."

"I'm sorry that I didn't want a family then." Kit dared to take a step closer to Nick. "What _did_ you do with the ring?"

"I chucked it." Nick shut his eyes, almost in shame. It was only _almost_ because it was just a small bit of guilt. "Off the docks, into the water. It wasn't worth pawning." Nick turned away from Kit. He couldn't look at her anymore. "At least it wasn't my grandmother's ring."

Kit folded her arms even tighter, feeling cold. "It's a good thing you didn't waste it." She forced a smile. "What do you want with my friend Lily?"

Nick turned around after wiping his eyes so she couldn't see. "We need her help with an investigation. It concerns Adam Wolff. You know him?"

"Yeah, I know him. I was the one who suggested that she talk to him more. If I had known that he was gonna be trouble," Kit shook her head. "Is _she_ safe?"

"I'll make sure your friend stays safe." Nick mustered up the courage to put a comforting paw on Kit's shoulder. Though, he didn't believe it would be that comforting. "It's the least I could do, after I hurt you."

Kit looked down and nodded her head. "Is there any way I can help?"

Nick did a double take at that. "What? Why do you want to help?"

Kit put her paw over Nick's on her shoulder. "It's the least I can do, after I hurt _you_."


	11. Chapter 11

Whiplash

Chapter 11 "Waka Waka"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Adam Wolff whistled to himself as he walked back to his truck down the street. He was carrying groceries in his arms. Normally this walk would have been shorter, but the universe seemed to be against him as all the close parking spots were taken. He didn't mind though. Adam was actually enjoying his walk. He was sporting a different hat. It was sort of a newsboy cap. Lily got it for him. She had told him it would be more comfortable than his beanies he always wore. That was partly true. It wasn't slipping off all the time, _and_ it was actually a lot cooler than his beanies, temperature wise.

The newspaper stand caught Adam's attention. Antonio and his boy Mitch were at it again. They were one of the few newspaper vendors that still got good revenue from the papers they got animals to buy. Adam paused to buy a newspaper. He always made it a point to buy one of their newspapers. And, his son Daniel always liked the funnies section. "Anything good today Tony?"

"Oh yeah!" The stallion's speech was slurred by the piece of gum he was chewing. Antonio smiled this big old grin. "That vigilante is in the papers again. He's really making a difference. At least, I think he is. Sure the coppers don't like that he's doing their job, but you know what? I think it's pretty cool, you know? A real life superhero. Imagine that."

"It's almost hard to believe." Adam tucked his new newspaper in one of his grocery bags and headed on his way.

"You have a good day now, Mr. Wolff." Antonio waved as Adam walked off.

It was a good day. The sun was shining but not too much that it was hot. The scattered clouds moderated the temperature. A neutral breeze blew through the trees that were different with each step.

Adam paused outside an electronics shop. A bunch of screens were displaying the news as they were being displayed behind the display window. Funny, Adam thought, so many displays. The news was buzzing with sightings of the vigilante. Blurred photos were accompanied by testimonies of bystanders and citizens that had been rescued. Adam laughed at the sight. Everyone had become captivated by the vigilante. It made him feel good.

" _Listen Brian, he could be any animal._ "

" _Even a hippopotamus?_ "

" _That's probably a stretch, but you never know…_ "

" _I think we can agree that he can whip. But the real question is, can he neigh neigh?_ "

" _So he's a horse now? Or do you think he can dance?_ "

" _You know what? We should ask him! Hey if you're watching this, do a little dance for the cameras next time._ "

" _Does he even have a name?_ "

Adam laughed at the clip of the two talk show hosts. He kept walking towards his truck. It was strange. Adam didn't realize how far away he had actually parked. He thought it must have been the fact that he was carrying groceries on the way back. When he finally got to his truck, he took notice of a group of boys that were chatting it up about something on the steps of an apartment building. After he got his groceries packed in the floor space in front of the passenger seat, he overheard them and realized they were talking about the vigilante.

"Hey mister!"

It took Adam a moment to realize they were addressing him. "Who me?"

"Yeah!" The beaver came up to him. "Do you think the vigilante's outfit is black, or blue? Because my friend keeps trying to say it's blue. I say it's black, because it would be better in the dark."

"It doesn't look black," the young giraffe on the stairs chimed in, "black stands out too much in the dark."

Adam looked to the other boys and back to the beaver. "It's dark blue. I've seen it."

The boys all looked amazed as almost in unison they asked, "Really?"

"Oh yeah." Adam didn't mind indulging these kids. "It's probably blue because it blends in better with the sky. Think about it, the sky isn't black at night."

"Wow. I never thought about it that way." The beaver ran back over to his friends.

Adam smiled to himself as he hopped into his truck. He rolled down his windows. The air conditioning worked, but he preferred the wind against his face. He heard the kids getting loud again about something.

"What should his name be?" The giraffe asked. "All superheroes have names."

"How about Whipper Snapper?" The beaver suggested.

"No that's stupid." Said a pig. "I know! The Cracker! Cause you know, his whip cracks, and he cracks down on crime."

A tiger chimed in. "Does he have a sidekick named cheese? Cheese and Cracker, a delicious snack." The tiger's humor earned a deadpan from the pig.

The smallest kid, an otter, raised his paw. "Can we call him Whiplash?"

The giraffe smiled. "I like that."

The beaver waved a paw off at his friends. "I don't think it'll catch on."

Adam drove off to go pick up his son from school. It wasn't that long of a drive. He saw the school coming up. It wasn't too long after the bell rang, because all the children had already spilled out of the elementary school building. Adam got worried when he didn't see his son. He usually waited next to the big marble sign that the kids would climb all over, but he wasn't there. Adam recognized as two familiar children ran up to the side of his truck.

"Mr. Wolff! Daniel is in trouble." It was Caleb Red and his sister. The two wolves were the children of his neighbors. The Reds were a good family. They welcomed Adam and Daniel into the neighborhood with open arms. Daniel had become good friends with Caleb.

"Caleb, calm down. Where is Daniel?"

Caleb's sister, Sara, was wiping her eyes. "He's in the principal's office."

Adam nodded. He knew where he was. "Okay. Don't worry you two, I'll settle this." Adam drove his truck into the parking lot. He parked under a tree so that the groceries wouldn't spoil too bad. He dashed through the entrance to the school to the principal's office. Knocking on the door, Adam thought about what reason his son could be in there for. Daniel had one of the highest grades in the school, he was well behaved, he always participated in class, and from what he knew, Daniel always got along with other kids.

The principal opened the door. Miss Cotentin was an old donkey that was known for her bitterness and her lack of motivation for her job. "Mr. Wolff. In here."

Adam saw his son sitting in a chair looking back to him. He gave him a comforting smile to let him know everything was going to be all right. To the side there was another child and his parents. They were zebras. The child had this high and mighty look of disgust when he eyed Adam. He had a black eye.

"Mr. Wolff. I'm glad you could make it. I tried to call your listed number, but you neglected to answer." Miss Cotentin tapped the surface of her desk methodically.

"I wasn't home." Adam explained. "And, I don't have a cell phone."

Miss Cotentin clicked her tongue. "Interesting. Well since you're here now, I have to inform you that your _son_ is in serious trouble for attacking poor Billy Stripes here."

Adam looked at his son who kept his gaze down to his lap. Looking over, he saw this Billy kid with his arms crossed with a smug look plastered onto his face. "Is that right?" Adam looked back to his son. "Daniel? Do you want to tell me why you hit the Stripes' son?"

Daniel sniffed a bit. "Because he was being mean."

"What on earth? Our Billy? He would never do something like that." Mrs. Stripes butted in.

Adam waved her off. "I was talking to my son, not you Mrs. Stripes." He put a paw on his son's shoulder. "What did he do Daniel?"

"He was teasing me, because my horns haven't grown in yet." Daniel rubbed at his eyes until Adam pulled his arm down. He had told him it was bad to rub his eyes. "And, he wouldn't stop. He started to push me when I told him to leave me alone."

Miss Cotentin groaned as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's just boys being boys."

Mr. Stripes shook his head. "I don't believe this! The kid's a liar. That's what happens when a predator raises a child."

"I taught my son to always tell the truth. I know he doesn't lie to me. He hasn't lied to me, ever. Can you look me in the eye, Mr. Stripes, and tell me that your son has never lied to you." Mr. Stripes said nothing. "That's what I thought. Daniel, what else did Billy do?"

"He tried to put a muzzle on me." Daniel's eye's watered.

"Hey!" Billy shouted.

Daniel turned to face Billy. "And he told me not to tell anyone, or else."

"This is preposterous," Mrs. Stripes laughed, "there's no way our son could have even gotten a muzzle."

Adam pulled out a hundred dollar bill and waved it in front of Billy. "I'll give you this if you tell me where you got the muzzle from."

"My parent's bedroom!" Billy didn't even think twice. Both parents said nothing, though the blush on their faces was apparent.

"Here you go, as promised." Adam handed Billy the hundred dollar bill. "I see you spoiled him."

"Excuse me, sir?" Mr. Stripes took offense to that, but Adam was making a point.

"You came into a fortune recently. Am I wrong?" Mr. Stripes shook his head. "I thought so. You smell like _new money_. And I can tell by the Armadillo  & Fitch clothes your son wears, that he's used to getting his way."

"Mr. Wolff!" Miss Cotentin slammed a fist on her desk. "That is enough. Is this a game to you?"

"No." Adam put his arm around his son. "I'm trying to figure out why my son felt he needed to defend himself by punching the Stripes' son."

Miss Cotentin groaned. "Well, how do you think this should be handled?"

"The Stripes' boy should receive some form of punishment." Adam looked at Mr. and Mrs. Stripes who said nothing.

"What?" Miss Cotentin Laughed. "But, Billy was the victim here. He was _wounded_ by your son"

"My son was a victim too, when when Billy _wounded_ his self esteem. You, as an educator, should know how powerful emotions are in a child's development." Adam held on to his son who was trying to hide his tears.

Miss Cotentin laughed. "They're just kids."

Adam stood up. "I'm not even going to ask if you're out of your mind. I know how to handle this. I'm going to pretend that the Stripes will figure out how to actually be parents, and then I'm going to take my son to go get ice cream. Daniel let's go." Daniel grabbed his backpack and headed for the door. Adam looked at Miss Cotentin's desk. He eyed a candy dish and began to reach for it. "May I? I'm asking, because us predators are more polite than you think." Miss Cotentin nodded. "Thank you." Adam grabbed a handful of candy and promptly dumped it in the trash can by the door. "Now I have wasted _your_ time."

Adam held his son's hand as he led him back to his truck. He helped him up into the passenger seat and helped him get buckled in. "Dad? What am I?"

Adam's shoulders settled after he took a deep breath. "You're my son."

"I know, but why don't we look the same." Daniel's question shook Adam to the core.

But, he knew this day would come. "The same? If we looked the same, we couldn't tell each other apart." Adam joked. "Could you imagine that? If every son looked like their father, their mommies would be so confuzed."

Daniel laughed at that. Adam knew how to make his son laugh. "But really, dad."

Adam nodded to himself. "I'll make you a deal. If you tell me what else happened between you and this Billy, I'll tell you when you're old enough."

Daniel thought about it. "I wasn't the only one he was being mean too." Adam knew his son didn't lie, but he would withhold information at times when he was embarrassed. "Billy was being mean to Caleb and Sara." That sounded about right to Adam. He had already talked to Daniel about his horns and how they would grow when the time was right. It made more sense to him that Daniel was defending his friends. "He called them mean things."

"You don't have to tell me anymore." Adam pulled up along the curb next to Spanky's Eats. "Daniel, I'm not rewarding you because you punched Billy. I'm rewarding you because you stood up for yourself and your friends. Understand?"

Daniel nodded his head. "Yes dad."

"That's my boy. A real hero stands up for his friends." Adam rolled down his window just in time to catch Junior as he was taking out the trash. "Hey, can I can an icecream cone for Daniel?"

"What's the occasion buddy?" Junior wiped his hands on his apron.

"I'm a hero, just like my dad!" Daniel practically jumped in his seat. Adam laughed inside. Seeing his son happy meant the world to him.

Adam turned up the radio station he and Daniel always listened to. He liked it because the music was usually clean, and it was upbeat enough for Daniel to enjoy. The drive home almost seemed to be a few seconds for them. They had so much fun singing along to their favorite songs. Daniel knew a lot of songs. The radio played so many songs over and over again that it was easy for him to memorize them. Eventually though, they made it home.

"Daniel, why don't you go over to Caleb and Sara's house to tell them you're okay." Adam started picking up the groceries.

"First I got to help you dad." Daniel made an attempt to big up the biggest bag. When his strength failed him, Adam handed him a more size appropriate bag.

Adam watched as Daniel followed him to the front door. "Carefull now, don't slip. There's been a bit more rain as of late."

Once the groceries were put away, Daniel had run off to his friends' house next door. Adam was left to himself. "Okay. Got the recipe for dinner tomorrow." Adam was a little more on edge about tomorrow night's dinner. He had invited Lily. He worried about how Daniel would take to her. Adam hoped he would like her. "Thinking again are we? Goodness forbid." Adam laughed to himself. He went into his office which was right after the closet by the entrance. Looking at the bookcase, he brushed each spine. He had read them all. It was all the books he could remember from his mother's collection. Some of the spines were slightly blackened from their own close calls with fire. Those were the surviving originals that Adam had managed to save from his mother's collection.

Eventually, Adam pulled out a flat wooden box. It was one of his father's old cigar boxes. His father never smoked; he just liked the smell. Sitting down at his desk, Adam opened the box to view its contents. Pictures and small knickknacks floated about in the box. There was the old official junior ranger scout pocket knife his older brother had given him. Adam opened up the knife and smiled to himself. "Still sharp." His paw settled on a picture which took Adam's breath away. It was a picture of his immediate family. "I miss you," Adam picked up another picture, "all of you." The second picture was of a young doe. It was one of those instant camera photos. On the blank white space below, _Penny's Garden_ was written in black marker. Adam felt a shaky breath escape him as he looked at the picture. In it, Penny was looking at a ladybug she was holding in a section of a large garden.

"Penny." Adam tried to swallow away the dryness in his throat. "I kept my promise. I don't know if you believed me then when I said I would really adopt a child to raise with you." The photo of penny had this half smile. Sometimes, Adam imagined Penny's smile got wider when he said something she would have liked if she were still alive. "You would have loved Daniel." He couldn't hold back his forming tears. "You would have liked Lily too." Adam laughed at that, but only a little. "I'm sure you would rather me move on than dwell on the past."

Something shiny caught Adam's eye. It was his father's ring. Before it was his father's, it was his grandfather's. Adam picked up the ring. It had a circular face with a W that lined up with the curve of the edges. The sides of the W made up part of the circle. It was the Wolffenstein emblem. "It's not bad to move on." Adam could almost hear the ghost of his father telling him how to be a proud Wolfenstein. "A Wolfenstein can always move on, as long as you remember."

Adam brushed the W of the ring. He remembered the kids who were discussing the name of the vigilante. "Whiplash." Adam hummed to himself. "I could live with that." He thought about how he could modify his outfit to have the emblem of the ring he was holding. "Every superhero has a name." Adam thought about his own name. Wolff. He changed it so that he could move on with life. It could have just been _Wolf_ , but he added a second F so that he would always remember. "Whiplash, the descendant of Wolfenstein." A sad thought crossed his mind. He knew that Lily would eventually catch on to his activities as a vigilante. "I need to tell Lily, someday."


	12. Chapter 12

Whiplash

Chapter 12 "Crazy He Calls Me"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily rubbed her shoulder as she sat in the cold interrogation room. She knew she wasn't in trouble, but she did know that Adam was in trouble. Lily tried resting her arms on the steel table but quickly retracted from the cold touch. It was unusually cold, even for a snow leopard. A strange little box and an earpiece caught Lily's eye.

She was alert as the door popped opened. She could tell it was Detective Nick Wilde by the tone of his voice and the red blur of his fur. "I don't care how cool he is! Just try to catch him." There was another voice that was too quiet to hear. "I don't know! Try a net." Nick turned around and closed the door behind him. "Thank you Miss Clawhauser for being so patient."

"It's no problem." Lily held her paws in her lap.

Nick scratched the back of his neck as he forced a cough. He needed information, but he had to be discreet. If Lily knew anything, he had to be careful about how he got the information. "Have you been watching the news? That Whiplash guy is really something, huh?"

Lily had heard the news about the vigilante. She thought it was inspiring to hear such a story, but at the same time, she thought it was dangerous for anyone to try something like that. An animal could get hurt. "I've heard better things about him in the papers."

Nick raised his brow in amusement. "Really? I didn't know anyone still read the newspaper."

"I've sort of come into the habit. I'm sort of interested in journalism now." Lily remember talking to Adam about it and how thrilled he was with the idea. She loved that about him, he always took interest in her interests. "But, you're not here to talk about me. Detective Hopps told me this has something to do with my, my…"

"Mr. Wolff, your special friend. It's all right, we're not ones that judge animals based on their relationships. But, back to business. I feel it an obligation to you to inform you about our _suspicions_ about Adam Wolff." Nick cleared his throat a bit. "We believe he might be in leads with the vigilante. Maybe, he's even more than that."

"Adam? A vigilante? That's absurd!" Lily crossed her arms in protest. She knew what kind of animal Adam was. He was a responsible and caring parent who worked honest jobs.

"Does he speak about his job?"

"He has _jobs_." Lily said.

Nick let out a heavy sigh. "What kind of jobs?" Lily froze in an instance of fear. "Do you really know where his money comes from?" She didn't know. "Are there things you don't know about Adam Wolff that you'd like to find out?"

There were a few things that plagued Lily's mind about Adam Wolff. She began to feel a collective feeling of guilt. Had she let the relationship cloud her judgement. "Yes. But, I think I'm getting the image of what you want me to do."

"We want information, to prove or disprove Adam Wolff's affiliation with this vigilante, this Whiplash." Nick pulled out his manilla envelope. "Since you know him, and he probably trusts you, we hope that he'll be more forthcoming."

"So, you want me to manipulate his trust?" Lily shook her head. "I see why Kit left you and why she hates cops."

Nick pretended he didn't hear that. "Listen, we're not asking you to betray him. We just don't want Adam to get into any deeper trouble than he already might be. The keyword in that is _might_. That means Adam Wolff might not even be in any trouble at all. But, he wouldn't tell us if he was. Maybe he's under surveillance, so if he does try to come to us, he'll be in even more danger. If you care about him, help him."

Lily was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to do.

"Miss Clawhauser, I'll let you think about it. But please understand, Adam could be playing a dangerous game." Nick clasped his paws together. "Has he ever told who he really is?"

Lily stood up. She wanted to leave the room. "I know who he is." Grabbing her crutches she made her way for the door without Nick's consent. "He's a good animal and a loving father to his son. That's all that matters to me." Lily used her crutch to push the door open. She made her way for the exit of the police station until a gentle voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I'm sorry."

Lily turned to face the voice. "Detective Hopps?" She had been more open to Judy when she first approached her at the garage.

"I understand that this all might be a little overwhelming. It's hard to accept that anything, or anyone for the matter, is different from what you expected. I know firsthand what that's like." Judy pulled out a card with a number. "Here take this. If you ever change your mind, just call us."

Lily took the card and tucked it into her wallet with the other mess of business cards she always kept. "Will do."

Lily was just able to catch the bus that was headed for the rainforest district. She sat down near a koala and her son who was watching videos on his mother's tablet. "Woah! Mommy look!" Lily could see it was a video of Whiplash. "When I grow up, I want to be a superhero too!" Lily smiled a bit at that. She noticed that the little boy's outburst had stirred up some of the passengers on the bus. They all seemed to jump into conversations about Whiplash. Most of the conversations were in the vigilante's favor.

Eventually, complete strangers had joined into each other's different discussions. Several children joined the young koala in watching videos of Whiplash. Lily finally gave her two cents. "I think he's pretty amazing."

A moose, who had been quiet the whole time, finally broke his silence. "I think his presence will bring problems for us eventually."

"Why is that?" Lily asked.

"Well think about it, a hero. Sooner or later, don't you suppose some maniac will challenge him?" The moose was interrupted by a rather rambunctious boar.

"Yeah! Like a _supervillain_." The boar had this creepy smile that made Lily feel uncomfortable. "Wouldn't that be exciting! An epic showdown between a superhero and his arch nemesis. Imagine that…" He unrolled his shirtsleeve to retrieve a hidden box of cigarettes. "Hey lady, got a light?" Lily shook her head. "Darn. My lighter's out."

The moose's interest had been piqued. "Out of curiosity. What sort of power would be a good counter for a Whiplash?"

"Explosions and fire!" The boar cried in excitement. "I can see it now, Whiplash will be caught up in the beauty of explosive fire, he'll be burnt to a crisp"

"Did you mean _would_?" The moose asked, concerned.

The boar came out of his strange fantasy. "Oh yeah, sure, whatever."

Lily was glad for the moment the bus arrived in the rainforest district. She was uncomfortable with the whole conversation between the boar and the moose. Looking around Lily found the street corner that Adam had told her to wait by. By the lamp post she saw a young buck waving to her with two red wolves by his side. She figured those were Daniel's friends that Adam had mentioned, Caleb and Sara. Lily maneuvered to the three. "Daniel?" When she got closer she noticed Daniel and Caleb were wearing super hero outfits.

"We're super heros!" Caleb chimed. "Like Whiplash."

"Yeah!" Daniel motioned for Lily to follow. "We're here to lead you to the safety of the Wolff residence!"

Lily couldn't help but laugh as she followed. "My heros."

"Ugh." Sara groaned as she kept a slow pace alongside Lily.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked.

Sara crossed her arms as she put on a pouty face. "My brother's a dork."

Lily saw Caleb and Daniel pretending to fly and chop at the air like they were fighting any villains in their way. "What about Daniel?"

"He's different. He's not my brother." Sara sort of smiled at that.

"It's only annoying when it's your brother." Lily laughed, though she never had a brother.

A realization swept across Sara's face as she turned to Lily. "Yes!" That made Lily laugh.

In a little bit, they made it to the house. Lily could see Adam's blue truck parked outside the two story house. Caleb and Sara waved goodbye to Daniel as they rushed to the house next door. Daniel tugged on Lily's sleeve. "Come on, dad's almost finished with dinner. You'll love it!" Lily carefully made her way to the door which Daniel had rushed to open. He ran inside calling, "Dad! Dad! She's here!" Lily waited at the door until she was officially invited in. In a flash, Adam rushed to the door.

"Lily! Come on in." Adam grabbed the door that was left open by Daniel and gestured for her to enter.

"I like the apron." Lily laughed at the white apron that had a picture of a rolling pin with the caption, _they see me rollin', they hatin'_.

"Spanky got this for me a couple of years ago." Adam looked down to his son who was leaning against his side. Daniel was still wearing his hero costume. "Daniel, go get changed for dinner."

"Yes dad." With that, Daniel leapt up the staircase to his room.

Lily noticed the door to Adam's office was open. On his desk, she saw a cigar box. "You smoke?"

"Hmm?" Adam noticed what she was looking at. "Oh no, that's one of my dad's old boxes. He just liked their smell. And, he would give me the boxes to keep things in." He retrieved the box and pulled out a photograph. "This was my family."

Lily took the photograph. "Wow, your family is so big."

"Yeah," Adam smiled sadly, "they were."

Lily looked up at Adam. " _Were?_ What do you mean by that Wolff?"

"I'd like to talk to you about that after dinner. If that's okay." Adam retrieved the photo from Lily and gently placed it back in the cigar box.

"Okay." Lily gave a cautious smile.

Adam stopped as he was about to put away the box. "Hey, you called me Wolff. Without the Mister."

"Yeah." Lily shrugged her shoulders. "You practically said you were tired of me calling you _Mister_ Wolff. And, I think it's safe to say we're not just friends going on dates." Lily felt her heart race when she said that. She almost couldn't believe she was saying that. He was a wolf, and she wasn't. It made Lily feel strange that _that_ was okay. But he was a nice guy, she told herself, what would be the harm?

Adam was almost dumbfounded, which made Lily laugh inside, but he kept his cool as it were and walked towards the kitchen. "Want to help me finish up the cooking?"

Lily bit her bottom lip. "Me? Cook?"

Adam laughed. "It's not that hard, and besides, you said you would like it if I taught you some things about cooking."

Lily was surprised that he remembered that. "Okay."

Lily didn't really help much as she was preoccupied with paying attention to what Adam was doing. Aside from toaster tarts and packaged noodles, she had never seen cooking the way he did it all came together, she realized what he was really making. Adam pointed to the recipe, "BBQ cauliflower and chickpea tacos with a creamy lime slaw. Sound good?"

Lily was working with the artichoke. She felt like she couldn't screw that up. "Sounds good. And this, this is grilled artichoke."

"You're doing great, you can take those off in a little bit. Do want to make the sauce?"

"I'll give it a go." Lily looked at the paper with the recipe. "Mayonnaise, harissa, honey, and one fourth of a teaspoon of pepper. Okay." After mixing those ingredients into a small bowl, she took the artichoke off the grill panel on top of the stove. "Is that it?"

"Congratulations Lily, you made your first side dish." Adam began to divide the food among the three plates he had set aside. "I also have-" He stopped and gave Lily a funny look. "Uh, you got something there."

"What, something on my face?" Lily tried feeling around her face and her glasses to find what it was.

"Here," Adam grabbed a paper towel, "I got it." He wiped some stray harissa-honey dip that Lily had somehow gotten on the tip of her nose.

"Thank you." Lily smiled. "So, dinner is ready?"

"Yeah, I'll get Daniel."

Dinner was, as Lily put it, delicious. She enjoyed talking with Adam's son who was full of questions which she gratefully answered. Lily was glad to hear about what Adam had to say near the end of dinner.

"I got a new job as a Forest Ranger. An old friend of mine gave me the heads up that there was an opening. There aren't exactly that many jumping into those kinds of jobs right now. And it pays well enough that I can leave two of my other jobs." Adam stood up and began to pick up his plate and Daniel's.

Lily grabbed her own plate. She noticed Daniel yawn. "Uh oh, someone's getting sleepy," she teased.

"No. I," Daniel yawned even longer as he rubbed his eyes, "I'm not sleepy, promise."

"Come on Daniel, go get ready for bed why we clean up." Adam watched and made sure that Daniel headed for the stairs towards his room. As soon as Daniel was out of sight, Adam smiled at Lily. "I think he likes you."

They both moved to the kitchen where they rinsed the dishes before putting them into the washer. Lily looked at Adam's backside, where his tail used to be. "Do you ever miss it? Your tail?"

Adam started on cleaning around the kitchen. "I've gotten used to it. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Lily said. "Also about, how you lost it."

Adam stopped cleaning and leaned against the counter. "Wow." He became shaky. It worried Lily. "It's just." He scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "I haven't had to tell anyone about it for so long."

"It's okay Adam." Lily let out a long sigh. She believed she was just as nervous as he was. "Why don't you put Daniel to bed first? Then we can talk."

Adam nodded. "Okay."

Lily was able to follow Adam up the stairs by taking it one step at a time. "Just a couple of months," she told herself as she stretched her paws. The crutches had started to hurt both her paws and her arms. Once she came to the top she leaned against the wall to listen to Adam and Daniel.

"Is it her daddy?" Daniel's voice was so full of hope as Adam pulled the covers over him.

"What do you mean?"

Daniel gripped on the edge of his covers. "You said mom was lost and that you were looking for her. Is she my mom?"

Adam froze. He didn't know what to say. "I don't know." That was all he could say. It made Daniel sad when he said that.

Daniel knew that when his father said he didn't know, he really meant it. "You promised you would find her."

"Yes I did." Adam smiled at his son. "I didn't forget."

Daniel laid down on his pillow as he let out another yawn. "I hope she's my mom. I like her."

Lily was speechless as she listened from the other side of the wall. She listened as Adam kissed his son on the forehead.

"Goodnight Daniel. I love you." Adam slowly got up.

Daniel snuggled up in his blanket. "I love you too daddy."

Lily smiled as she leaned against the wall. Watching Adam closing Daniels door, she pulled her crutches off. "Hi."

"Hi." Adam whispered. "Did you hear any of that?"

"Yes." Lily held both of her crutches in one paw.

"Lily, I want you to understand. I'm not just dating you because Daniel wants a mother." Adam was surprised when Lily held his face with her paw.

"I know." Lily rubbed the thumb of her paw over Adam's face. She felt him shaking. She was shaking as well. She felt like she was going crazy. He's a wolf, her conscience kept screaming at her, and I'm a snow leopard. Her mind was still at war because she wasn't the same species as Adam. But his eyes, Lily looked at them, those gold eyes. She practically felt the love and kindness of this father pouring out.

Adam cleared his throat. "I need to talk to about who I really am, and where I come from."

Lily let out a deep sigh. "Okay." Without warning, she tossed her crutches down the staircase. "Can you help me?"

Adam was confused. "What?"

"You're such a dork," Lily laughed with a slight groan. "Carry me. Please."

"Okay." Adam placed one arm around her back and lifted her up with his other arm under her legs. "Okay?"

Lily nodded. She was surprised by how Adam was able to pick her up so effortlessly. As they descended down the stairs, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She tried to pretend he was a snow leopard. She reimagined his appearance. He would have looked handsome as a snow leopard. Then she thought on his personality. He would have been perfect. But, she knew, he was still a wolf. When she opened her eyes, she saw what he was, a wolf. It almost broke her heart. And, she felt horrible because regardless of her thoughts, Adam was smiling.

"Here," Adam carefully set Lily on the couch, "is that okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Lily watched as Adam retrieved her crutches and leaned them against her side of the couch.

Adam sat on the other side of the couch. He clasped his paws together. "Can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

Adam took a deep breath. "Please don't view me any differently than you see me now."

Lily cringed a bit at that. But, she understood he meant who he was not what he was. "I promise."

Adam nodded his head to himself. "My real name isn't Wolff. It's Wolfenstein. That may sound familiar because you may remember or not. Do you know what the Wolfenstein Massacre is?"

"I remember, I think I was almost out of High School when that all happened." Lily made the connection. "But, I thought the Wolfensteins were all dead."

Lily didn't see that Adam had the cigar box with him. He opened it and shakily pulled out a newspaper clipping. "Not all of them."

Lily covered her mouth the moment she saw who it was in the picture. It was a much younger Adam with bandages covering his missing ears. "Adam." Lily began to tear up.

"I just thought you should know." Adam didn't look up at her. He just stared at his lap.

Lily was frightened by the look he held on his face as he stared into nothingness. It as like just mentioning his past took him right back. "Why did you tell me this?"

"I need someone to trust. And, I care about you. I want you to trust me. It's been a burden, not having anyone I can trust with this. I changed my name to detach myself from that world of my violent past." Adam's expression turned to sorrow. He quickly shook his head.

Lily could see Adam's discomfort with self pity. But, something stood out in her mind. Adam said something that gave her this strange sensation. "Wait, you said you care about me?"

"Yes." Adam looked Lily straight in the face. "I do. I like talking with you. I feel like you are special to me. Sorry I'm not very good with words, sometimes."

"Adam," Lily dared to push the boundaries, "do you love me?"

"No." Adam said.

Lily frowned at that. She mentally kicked herself because she was hoping he'd say yes. There was a part of her that she kept trying to give in to. There was this still small voice that kept trying to rationalize a relationship between two very different animals. Lily felt stuck as logic and morality played tug of war with her heart. Logic simply dictated that different species were off limits. That was cold. But, morality gave Lily this warm feeling inside. Adam was a kind wolf with a big heart. He had a past, but he wants to move forward. He wanted to move forward with her.

"But, I want to love you." Adam fell back against the back of the couch. He rubbed his forehead. "I don't understand why I don't love you. I mean, you're beautiful inside and out. You've given me nothing less than respect. I respect you so much. Wow, I probably sound like a lovesick child saying all this."

"It's okay." Lily felt a rush of emotions overcome her. The fact that Adam wanted to love her both thrilled her and scared her. She didn't know if she could completely love him back. "Is there a reason why you don't love me?"

"I can't explain it, but it's funny because you make it easy to love you." Adam smiled. "I don't understand why I can't just say it."

Lily held a sad smile. "Is it because we're not the same animal?"

"Of course not. Why would that be a," it hit Adam. "Oh." He face palmed, quite literally. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were uncomfortable with this."

"It's not that," Lily scooted closer to Adam to put her paw on his shoulder, "I'm just getting used to this." Lily smirked. "You're not scaring me away that easy."

Adam laughed. "Do I scare you. I mean, with my past and all?"

"No." Lily cupped his face in her paw again. "I'm glad you told me. I think the more you're honest with me the better. I trust you more." Lily started thinking about her experience back at the police station. She remembered what Nick had told her about protecting Adam. Tomorrow, she told herself, I'll call them. "I care about you too."


	13. Chapter 13

Whiplash

Chapter 13 "TNT"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy jumped up in her bed. She felt her lungs rapidly inhaling and exhaling. She had another nightmare. It was about the day that they had captured Cowden, the supposed art thief. Officially the case was technically closed. But, what happened to Judy that day came back to haunt her. The way she beat Nick still put her on edge. She didn't know why it happened or if it could happen again. In the nightmare, she had actually beaten Nick to death. And, she was crying over his limp body. It scared _her_ near to death.

Judy dragged out her yawn as she pushed away the stuffed rabbits on her bed to go get a glass of fresh carrot juice from the fridge. As of late she had been able to afford more accommodations for her living space. She was able to get a small fridge with a freezer from the local thrift shop, and she had acquired a laptop for her desk as well. She didn't have space for a television but so the laptop was great for getting her daily dose of the news. She sat down at her desk across from her bed. She wasn't surprised when another Whiplash sighting popped up on her laptop. "Oh, here we go again."

The live feed showed an art museum with crates that were being unloaded by police who were led, to Judy's surprise, by Nick. A doe news reporter narrated the events. Apparently a number of crates were found containing paintings. An officer came into the camera's view and identified Whiplash as the one who returned the paintings. Security footage was shown from the previous night when the power went down and came back on revealing the crates and Whiplash, who fled the scene soon afterward. Judy saw Nick again in the background. This was a live feed. So when Judy saw Nick in the corner of the screen, she was surprised when he pulled out his phone and her's began to ring on her desk.

Judy saw Nick's picture appear on her phone. It had been taken a long time ago, after they exposed Lionheart, he was still wearing his green shirt with the little police sticker on his pocket. Judy quickly picked up her phone, "Hello? Nick?"

"Yeah Judy?" Nick sounded somewhere between tired and exhausted. His laugh gave a strange twist to his tone. "You're not going to believe this."

Judy pressed her phone between her shoulder and her face as she pulled out some clothes. "What did our vigilante friend leave at the museum exactly?"

"Cowden's innocent. Whiplash had the paintings. We've almost got all of them down here." Nick laughed like a mad animal. "This case just gets better and better, doesn't it?"

Judy's ears perked up at one of Nick's comments. "Wait. What do you mean almost all of the paintings?"

Nick cleared his throat through the phone. "There's a hundred and fifty here. But, we're missing one."

Judy groaned. It had to be one, she thought. "Listen Nick, I'll meet you at the station."

"Alright carrots." With that, they both hung up.

Judy saw Nick drive up as she made it to the front of the police station. He quickly parked and locked the car and ran up to her. "I called Q ahead of time and asked him to do some poking around."

"Didn't he get promoted?" Judy asked as Nick open the door for her.

"Yeah. I think he's head of both of the forensics departments." Nick pointed out the new animals in lab coats. "He upgraded our computer forensics lab."

Judy followed Nick as they entered a room full of desks and computers. At the back was a screen with detailed information about various cases. Q was there giving orders to passing individuals about setting up computers. "Hold on a second," Q adjusted his sunglasses as he noticed Nick and Judy. "Officers Hopps and Wilde, well, Detectives now I've heard. How can I help you today?"

Judy stepped up. "We need status checks on those paintings."

"Yes, I can help you." Q picked up a tablet which controlled the screen. "It seems that all of the paintings were claimed by their original owners. Oh," Q smiled, "hello there. It looks like one painting was claimed by your friend, Adam Wolff."

"What?" Judy looked at the picture of the painting. It was an old style painting of a wolf it a traditional military uniform. On his belt was a holstered whip. "Wolfenstein."

Nick nodded as he pointed at the picture. "That's the painting that wasn't recovered. It's titled The Lost Hero isn't it?"

Q scrolled down on the tablet. "Yes, it is."

Everyone froze as the power suddenly went out. There was a low rumble which made several animals begin to panic.

Nick could feel a slight vibration in the ground. "What was that?"

A loud boom shook the whole police station. Emergency power kicked in and an alarm sounded over the intercom. " _Breach in the southeastern hall."_

"What's in that area?" Nick cautiously asked Judy.

Judy's eyes widened with fear. "That's where they lock up confiscated items."

"What exactly is in there?" Q asked.

Another boom was followed by screams as everyone fell to the ground. Nick muttered as he stood back up. "Apparently a lot!"

"Come on!" Judy was followed by Nick as they rushed out of there. They were surprised to see a gaping hole where the front entrance used to be.

"Judy."

Judy turned to see Benjamin Clawhauser pinned beneath a beam that had fallen in the blast. "Clawhauser!" Judy turned to other officers who were recovering from what had just happened. "Call up the medics! We need some help over here!"

Two rhinos immediately came and lifted the beam off of Clawhauser who erupted into a fit of coughing. "Ah! I can't!" He was in pain and the coughing made it worse.

"Stay with me buddy!" Nick grabbed Clawhauser's shoulder. "What happened?"

Clawhauser forced back a cough as he gasped for breath. "A boar, with explosives, he charged in here. And he attacked without warning." Clawhauser couldn't help but cough again. A small trickle of blood seeped into the fur at the corner of his mouth.

"Okay," Judy gently pat Clawhauser on the shoulder, "hang tight until the paramedics arrive." Judy slowly turned around and half sprinted away from Clawhauser.

Nick saw her covering her eyes. Judy's emotions were usually under control, but there were those rare moments when she just slipped. "Judy." Nick grabbed her shoulders and carefully turned her around. He could see she wasn't crying yet, but her eyes were a little red and watery. "You okay?"

Judy was trying hard to stay composed. "It's just that, Benjamin was the first friendly face I saw when I became a cop. I don't know what it would be like if he-."

"Don't think like that," Nick embraced Judy in his arms, "he'll be okay."

Judy felt a release of pain the moment Nick hugged her. It was amazing, she thought, that he could do that.

"Come on, carrots." Nick pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Judy. "Let's go catch the bad guy."

They rushed to their car outside. It luckily managed to survive the destruction. Judy hopped into the driver's seat while Nick got in the passenger seat and armed himself with the radio.

"This is Detective Wilde and Detective Hopps. We are currently in pursuit. The suspect is a boar, armed with explosives and dangerous. Requesting backup." Nick flipped a switch which activated their vehicle's signal beacon. Watching the rear view mirror, two interceptors eventually appeared in Nick's view.

The scanner buzzed back in response. " _10-4. We got eyes on the suspect. He is a male, with a distinctive overgrown left tusk. He appears to be headed towards Climb Square."_

Judy could see animals running in the opposite direction. "We're getting close."

Nick looked forward, squinting his eyes. "How can you tell-." A loud explosion rocked their car as it rolled and hit a fire hydrant. The water spilling out caused the two interceptors to hydroplane before crashing into each other. More explosions sounded off.

"Nick?" Judy groaned from the pain in her face. She pulled a tool from the door and popped the airbag which pressed up against her face. She looked out her window. An officer in one of the crashed interceptors was shouting into her com microphone about an officer down. Without warning, the vehicle erupted into flames as it was raised a couple of feet into the air by an explosion. "Nick!" Judy turned her head. Nick was unconscious. She saw that his airbag did not deploy. There was blood dripping from his forehead.

Judy turned the tool around and cut off her seat belt. She moved over to Nick and cut his seat belt as well. She wasn't prepared as a shock wave knocked her into Nick. The door didn't support their weight as it flung open and let Judy and Nick tumbled out of the car. Judy immediately assessed the situation. She didn't see any immediate danger, so she took off her jacket and used it to stop the bleeding from Nick's head. Cradling his head, Judy looked up in horror as she saw the boar.

He was wearing bandoliers of dynamite and a harness riddled with strange grenades and explosive devices. Aside from that, he was shirtless with only a red pair of cargo pants. "Howdy, you cute little copper." His evil grin showed off his overgrown tusk which curled inward. He laughed maniacally as he lit a stick of dynamite with the cigarette that hung in his mouth.

Judy heard a rumble underground. She followed the sound with her eyes to a sewer inspection cover that the boar was stepping towards. To her surprise, the metal cover shot upward and struck the boar in the jaw. The stick of dynamite flew from his grasp and blew up in mid air.

A figure shot up out of the inspection hole. He wore a tactical suit made up of navy blue combat fatigues with a red belt. A set of bionic-like ears flared up as he pulled a whip off of his belt. The white insignia on his chest made his identity unmistakable. It was Whiplash. "It's over!" His voice was muffled by the cover of his mask which had golden reflective lenses to shield his eyes.

The boar got back to his feet and spat out a couple of teeth. "You know why explosives are so exciting?" The boar gave a deranged smile. "Chain reactions." The boar charged at whiplash without warning and knocked him across the street. "Once it starts, there's no stopping it!"

Whiplash landed on top of a car and left the roof dented in. "Who are you?"

"I'm TNT!" The boar cackled. "I'm dynamite." He lit another fuse and chucked the dynamite stick at Whiplash.

Whiplash caught the stick of dynamite and yanked out the fuse before it went off. Quickly recovering, he swung his whip around and wrapped it around TNT's overgrown tusk and promptly yanked him forward causing the boar to collide with the car he was on top of. Whiplash jumped off and ran to Nick and Judy. "Are you two okay?"

Judy's eyes widened as she shouted. "Look out!"

Whiplash did a side roll to avoid the rampaging TNT. Skidding to a halt, TNT quickly turned around and loosened his shoulders. "So that's how you want to play it huh?"

"You know, just getting to know you a little." Whiplash shot back. "Figuring out how to take you down."

TNT laughed as a wicked smile stretched across his face. "You want to get to know me? Fine." He flipped two toggle switches on each wrist. "Let's get up close and personal!" Stretching out his arms, he revealed two nozzles that spewed flames towards Whiplash.

Judy flinched a bit as Nick began to move. "Ugh, what happened?"

"Nick! Thank goodness you're awake. Whiplash is here, he's taking on the boar."

Nick looked up and saw Whiplash jump through the air with a flip over TNT as flames chased him. "Sweet cheese and crackers."

"It gets better!" TNT pressed and held a button that made a large hissing noise. When he lifted his arm up again, a fireball shot from the nozzle.

Whiplash dived to the side, allowing the fireball to pass by him and strike a car which burst into flames upon impact. He knew he had to up his game. Whiplash charged at TNT who was still mesmerized by the light of his newly made fire. He made the connection that _that_ was how he could distract him. Colliding with the distracted TNT, Whiplash grabbed for the fuel lines to his flamethrowers.

TNT managed to use Whiplash's momentum to throw him away. "Ha! Any last words?" As he raised his arms, he was disappointed to only hear empty little clicks. "What?" He saw the torn fuel lines.

"Running on empty are we?" Whiplash gathered his whip back up to be prepared for anything.

TNT noticed bystanders still running away from the scene. "Hey catch!" He lit a long fuse dynamite stick and tossed it to a group of kids that screamed as they saw it coming.

Whiplash made a mad dash for the kids. Realizing the dynamite stick's fuse was now too short to yank it out, he threw it behind him and used his body to protect the kids. After the explosion, Whiplash looked at the kids and realized who they were. A beaver, a giraffe, a pig, a tiger, and an otter. Whiplash had seen these kids sitting on a doorstep some time ago. Their faces instantly lit up seeing that Whiplash had saved them.

"Awesome!" The beaver shouted. "That wolf was right about his costume."

As much as Whiplash liked the appreciation, he knew he had to get these kids to safety. "Head inside! And go through the back alley to get out of here." The kids all saluted and ran inside.

Turning back to TNT, Whiplash saw him approaching Judy and Nick. "Alright coppers. It's your turn!" Lighting another fuse, he aimed in their direction and threw a bundle of dynamite sticks.

Judy clung to Nick and closed her eyes, expecting the worse. She flinched as a loud cracking sound pierced her ears. To her surprise, it wasn't the the dynamite. When she and Nick both looked up, they saw the bundle of dynamite in front of them. To their left they saw Whiplash with the severed fuse burning out in his paw.

"TNT!" Whiplash stood between Nick and Judy and TNT. "This ends here." He kicked the bundle of dynamite into a burning car. While TNT was distracted by the ensuing explosion, he charged forward. Sliding between his legs, Whiplash jumped back up and drop kicked him.

TNT smashed into another car. "What the?" Before he knew it, Whiplash has caught his leg with his whip and proceeded to pull him away. "Ah!"

Whiplash continued to pull TNT across the hot pavement as he screamed. Jumping onto his back, he pulled out an injection needle filled with a red substance. "This is going to hurt." Whiplash slammed the needle down into TNT's shoulder. Quickly, he jumped off and stood by as his defeated foe writhed in pain before every muscle in his body stiffened.

"He paralyzed him." Nick said as he tried to stand up.

Judy forced him back down. "Take it easy Nick." Judy's ears went down as Whiplash approached her.

"Handcuffs." Whiplash demanded as he stretched out his arm. Judy complied and tossed him her handcuffs. She watched as he forced TNT's arms behind his back and cuffed them. With a knife from his belt, Whiplash cut off his harness of explosives and slid them far away from TNT. Moving closer, he noticed a strange device connected to the side of the boar's head. Carefully, he ripped the device out and revealed several prongs that came from his head. Looking up, Whiplash spotted a figure dressed in black on top of a building wielding a controller of some kind.

Judy saw the figure in black too. She watched as the figure raced off of the building top and took flight with a pair of mechanical wings that extended from the back.

Whiplash handed the device from the boar's head to Nick. "He's all yours, Detective." Whiplash's voice was all too familiar to Nick. But, with the mask on, he could not prove who it really was. "Sorry we had to meet this way." Whiplash rolled his whip back up and dropped into the service hole.

Judy and Nick looked at each other. Nick laughed a bit. "Oh goody, there's more of them."

Soon, a few interceptors, fire trucks, and ambulances showed up on the scene. A bomb squad was also deployed to handle any and all stray explosives. From behind one of the parked cars that was undamaged, a doe reporter and a raccoon with a camera crept up out of hiding.

The doe reporter smiled. "Please tell me you got all that."

The raccoon nodded as he watched the playback footage. "Oh, yeah."


	14. Chapter 14

Whiplash

Chapter 14 "Stranger Things"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Adam Wolff nervously walked toward the booth and took a seat. He was in the visitors center of the ZPC, the Zootopia Prison Complex. It was a smaller island that was quite a distance from the initial Bay Area. Wolff new he risking exposure, but he had a back up plan for that.

Ever since the incident where he had been knocked out and his truck was "stolen," he had been seeing a therapist. Of course, he was faking these sessions so that the occasion would arise when he could "face his fears." That was the cover story.

Adam picked up the phone the moment Grant Cowden picked up his phone. "How are you doing you old bull?"

Cowden smiled. "I'm stupendous Master Adam. My cellmate is impressed by my cleaning abilities. He said something along the lines of, 'You don't smell like buffalo chips.'" Adam and Cowden both laughed.

Adam felt a sense of comfort from the dry humor that came with Cowden's accent. "Grant. I owe my life to you."

"No," Cowden shook his head, "it has always been a privilege to serve the house of Wolfenstein." With a heavy sigh, Cowden looked over Adam. "Look at you. All grown up. It seems like only yesterday that I was rescuing vases from the destructive races you had with your brothers as a kid. I wish your father could have seen you now."

Adam smiled as he remembered those days when Cowden was the chief butler in the Wolfenstein Mansion. "I hear you're getting out soon."

Cowden laughed. "Apparently the Police were wrong in convicting me. I may even get money for this."

Something didn't sit right with Adam. "What about those charges for resisting and assaulting the officers and all that?"

Cowden shrugged his shoulders. "I can only assume that friend of yours paid off everything else. I still don't trust him."

Adam nodded in agreement. His recent contact had been vague. And, as to why he gave him information about officers Hopps and Wilde was beyond him. "What will you do after this?" Adam rubbed the back of his neck as he awaited Cowden's answer.

"I don't know." Cowden smiled. "Maybe I'll become a housekeeper."

"Well in that case, I could hook you up with an opening. There's this little house in the rainforest district that could use a butler's touch. It pays good." Wolff hung up the phone. He didn't have much time left. That's how tight the security was around the place.

Before Wolff could step away, he heard Cowden knock at the glass. He picked up the phone again and listened to what he had to say. "On a scale of one to death, how sore are you right now?"

Wolff laughed. "That's not funny." Hanging up the phone again and turning around, he saw the television on and playing the video of Whiplash fighting TNT. "Hmm."

Adam made his way back to the guard station where the ferry was waiting. He wanted to make the four o'clock ferry before he'd be stuck there for another two hours. This wasn't a pleasant thought as he had promised to be at the hospital as soon as possible. Lily told him about how her cousin Benjamin had been critically injured during the whole TNT fiasco. At this point all Adam could do was wait as he leaned against the rail on the ferry which took its sweet time.

Eventually, he made it back to the parking structure by the docks where he parked his truck. Half of an hour had gone by. Adam felt ill the moment he sat in his truck. Lily. He was worried about her now. It was her cousin that got hurt, but Adam's mind wandered. What if she got hurt. Adam's paws tightened on the steering wheel. A disturbing visual of Lily dying in his arms crossed his mind. He clenched his eyes shut and shook the thought away. "No." He started up the engine. "I won't let that happen."

Adam finally made it to the hospital. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Doing his best to act normal, he made his way to the front desk. It was horrible. Adam felt his imagination running wild as it attacked his thoughts with images of Lily in tears or images of her collapsed without her crutches. His forehead felt sweaty as his foot jumped in place while he sat in the waiting area.

When Lily made her way out into the waiting area, she was surprised to see Adam rush up to her and hug her so fast she couldn't get her crutches out of the way. "Adam, what are you?"

"Sorry." Adam released Lily from his embrace. "I was just really worried about you." He didn't realize how fast he was talking. "I came here as soon as I could, and I had to drop off Daniel, and I was in the middle of something, and when I heard that your cousin was hurt I didn't know how you were, and-"

Lily wriggled a paw loose and grabbed Adam by the snout to shut him up. "Hey. It's okay. You're here now." Lily brushed a wet spot in the fur around the corner of Adam's eye. "You okay?"

Adam shakily nodded. "I was just worried. I let my imagination get the better of me."

Lily could feel how shaky Adam was. "Come on. The doctor told me to wait out here. Let's sit down." Lily rushed around Adam and marched with her crutches to the nearest free bench that could seat the two of them. Adam followed suit.

Once they were both seated on the bench, Lily set her crutches to the side and leaned up against Adam. She felt a bit nervous as judging eyes were darting at them. Adam noticed this. He saw the discomfort on Lily's face. He wrapped his arm around her and held her tight. Instantly, he felt her loosen up and let out a deep breath. Adam smiled as wide as he could. It was amazing how all the judging looks vanished, one by one. Adam knew how to deal with judgment. Animals who judged others were always the unhappiest. Adam knew, that ignoring them made things worse. The best way to present yourself was to show them how happy you were. Normal animals would just look away feeling bad for their fowl judgments.

Adam saw one animal still staring down him and Lily. It was a lonely old elephant. Her trunk was high in the air like any stuck up elephant would be. Then Adam dared to tread the mysterious waters of the atmosphere. He gently kissed the top of Lily's head. Almost instantaneously, the expression on the old elephant's face softened. She seemed sad, almost as if she was remembering a past love of her own. At least, that was the thought that crossed Adam's mind. He looked around, and he even saw a few friendlier faces.

Lily looked up at the television with a questioning look on her face. "No." She saw the news reel of the showdown between Whiplash and TNT. "I've seen him."

"Who?" Adam looked up at the television and smirked a bit at the mugshot of TNT.

"He was on my bus." Lily shivered as she pressed herself into Adam's side.

Adam rubbed her shoulder with a paw. This was insane. TNT was on the same bus as Lily? He could have been as dangerous then as he is now. Adam's brain was shaken. The idea of Lily being in danger returned. "Lily I have to tell you something. The next time we have a chance to be alone, I need to tell you something." He knew in his heart, he had to tell her. Adam couldn't think of anything worse than Lily never trusting him again.

Lily blinked at this sudden statement. "What is it?"

Before Adam could say anything he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking behind, he saw an animal in a suit who carried a strange knowing smile. "Can I help you?"

"Why of course Mister Wolff. Might I steal a moment of your time from your," the strange animal paused, "companion?"

Adam looked to Lily. "I'll be right back." He felt sorry as Lily reluctantly slid away from him. Standing up, he followed the strange animal in the suit to what appeared to be a lunch area.

At the snap of the animal's digits, every animal in the room vacated immediately. "Please sit down." Adam was reluctant at first. "Relax, my boy. You're not in trouble."

Adam took his seat across from the strange animal. "What's this all about."

"I'm bringing you into the loop. You see there are certain happenings that have been of interest to me and my department." The strange animal smiled.

Adam dared a chuckle. "What, are you FBI, CIA, or something?"

The strange animal leaned forward and slid a folder to Adam. "Think higher."

Adam's smile fell from his face as he glanced over the files in the folder. He a frowned. "What is this supposed to accomplish?"

"Well Mister Wolff," the strange animal laughed, "well, I guess everyone calls you Whiplash now, don't they?"

Adam forced a smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hehehe." The strange animal smiled as he crossed his arms. "Don't worry, I won't go telling people who you really are. It wouldn't benefit me at all. You to need to keep this secret. So don't go blabbing off to your lover out there. Now is not a time to be distracted by love, Adam Wolfenstein. It didn't do you much in the past and it won't do you good now."

Adam was stunned.

The strange animal pulled a cellular phone out of his pocket. "This is how we'll keep in touch."

Picking up the burner phone, Adam furrowed his brow with a continuing distaste for this strange animal. "Who are you."

"Allow me to properly introduce myself." The strange animal loosened his necktie. "I'm Agent Savage."


	15. Chapter 15

Whiplash

Chapter 15 "Can't Smile Without You"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

The sandwich in front of Lily taunted her. It was almost like it was speaking to her. She new it was her lunch break, and she wanted to be hungry. She just wasn't. Forcing herself to take small sips from her water bottle didn't help either. If anything, the water just dried out her throat which made her less hungry. The plan that had been set aside for tonight had Lily on edge. She just didn't have an appetite at this point.

It was at this time that her boss noticed her. Reina was concerned. "Lily. Isn't your lunch break almost over?"

"Yes," Lily fumbled with wrapping the sandwich back up and putting it in the fridge, "sorry."

Reina frowned at her action. "Stop." Lily obeyed her. "Sit down." As soon as Lily was seated, Reina took a seat across from her. "Is something wrong?"

There was a moment of silence on Lily's part. She was about to say something, but the only sound that escaped her mouth was a short breath which produced a single incoherent syllable that couldn't properly form a word. What could she tell her Boss? Knowing that the doe was an expert at knowing when animals are lying to her, she couldn't make up anything. She also knew that she couldn't just spill the beans, so to speak, about what was going down tonight. But here was the half of her problem that she could explain. "Can you answer a question?"

Reina laughed. "Dear, that depends on the question."

Lily let out a heavy sigh. "Would you think it was strange, if an animal happened to like another animal that…"

"Yes?" Reina could see the struggle on Lily's face. "Lily, if it's about you, I won't tell anyone. I promise."

There was a comforting look in Reina's eyes that gave her the will to ask the dreaded question. "Would you think I was strange if I had romantic feelings for an animal," she took a deep breath, "wasn't the same as me."

"Well," Reina chuckled a bit, "I'd hope they weren't the same. Wouldn't it get a little boring to be dating someone who is exactly like you with the same interests and everything?"

"Oh, I don't mean that." Lily realized that she hadn't explained it to her enough. "I mean would it be weird, considering the fact, that I'm a snow leopard and," Lily could feel her paws shaking, "he's not."

Reina sat in quiet contemplation. As her eyes went back and forth between Lily and the table she sat at, it was clear that an idea was turning the tumblers to the safe of wisdom in her mind. "Why should it matter?"

Lily was taken aback by this answer. "What?"

"You're talking about that Wolff fellow, right?" Reina smiled as Lily nodded. "Mr. Wolff. I know of him and what people say about him. I know he's a hard worker, and I know that he's a caring father. He is also honest in his dealings with his fellow animals. As I understand it, he is also an honorable type. Have I said anything false?"

Lily shook her head. "He's all those things. And more."

"It seems to me Lily," Reina pulled out her phone, "that dating him has grown into something more. Am I right?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, but he's."

"He's what?" If it hadn't been for the stillness of Reina's voice, her tone could have been perceived as anger. But, Lily recognized that it was really a touch of unequivocal wisdom. "He's a wolf, you're a snow leopard. So what? Do you think we can help being what we are? No. We are who we are. But, it doesn't matter what you are. What's more important is who you chose to be. This isn't a matter of what you two are. You need to understand what you mean to each other." Reina opened her phone and pulled up an app. "I like the quotes some people post here. It seems ridiculous, but that's because animals forgot how much wisdom there is in these short bits of words." She scrolled down and read, " _Beauty attracts the eye, but personality captures the heart._ With that being said, even if Mr. Wolff was a snow leopard or you a wolf, would it matter? It's _who_ he is that matters. The only problem I see is your fear of what others will say. Maybe you're scared because he means more to you than anyone you've known. I can't say exactly. My money's on the idea that you're afraid of what other animals will say."

Lily was flustered as a wave of emotions flooded through her. "You don't think I'm Strange?"

"Child!" Reina laughed with a wide smile. "You're in love. How many times have you felt judged? Plenty. I'm sure." Reina moved her chair over to Lily and put a comforting arm around her. "Out of all the times you felt judged, how many times have your thoughts wandered back to _him_. How many times did your love for him feel stronger?"

"Every time." A new ethereal light of hope filled Lily's heart. The only doubt that remained was exactly as Reina had told her. She was afraid of judgement.

"I can see it in your eyes," Reina shook her head, "the doubt. It's always the same look. I had that same look when I started this business. But, you know what? When the bills kept piling up, I didn't let it get to me. I pushed through it all. Look at me now. I've become successful. Sure I'm not swimming in a sea of wealth, but that's not what I wanted. I just wanted to help people and be successful at it. Love is a lot like what I do. It's a business. It's one of the most complicated businesses there is in this world. If you don't take risks, you'll forever live with your dreams. Dreams are great, but they're not as good as reality, Lily. What is _your_ reality?"

Lily pulled out her phone. Pressing the unlock button revealed a picture of her, Adam, and Daniel. It was a picture of her smiling with Adam sticking his tongue out while crossing his eyes, and Daniel was in the background making bunny ears behind them both. She couldn't help but smile at the endearing picture. "Adam loves me. He makes me happy."

Nodding, Reina took Lily's paw. "Everyone deserves to be happy and loved. Don't let the preconceptions of race deter you from that. Love is inside us all and never discriminates. That's pure love, that is. It's more powerful than anything in this universe. I may be an old doe who never married, but that doesn't mean I don't know what real love is. You and many of my employees, I've seen you as my children. I'm a deer. You're a snow leopard. Kit's a fox. Matilda is a badger. Sarah is a giraffe. Michelle is a sheep. But, that never stopped me from loving you all as a family. Animals underestimate the power of families these days. Sometimes you need a big family, and sometimes all you need is two. My employees are my family. I make sure you get paid." Reina laughed. "Ask Sarah, I let her stay in my home until she could find a decent apartment." She got serious again. "If you ever need anything, I'm always here." Reina stood up slowly and headed for the door.

"Miss Deere!" Lily's shout halted Reina who turned around to face Lily with a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"You can have an extra ten minutes for lunch." With that, Reina relocated to greet a new customer.

Lily used her extra ten minutes to eat her sandwich and text Adam about dinner that night. After that was all said and done, she carried on with her work for the day. There was an extra bounce to the stride of her crutches. There seemed to be no attitude of any customer that could break her spirit. Oil changes and tire changes passed. Broken mufflers came off and were replaced. Rear view mirrors were fixed, and smiles of customer satisfaction reigned until the evening.

Lily punched out a couple of minutes after when she was supposed to. And, to her surprise she was stopped by someone as she headed to the bus stop. "Hey Kit. What's up?" Lily adjusted her glasses as her friend drew closer.

"You need to stop seeing Adam." Kit held a very concerned yet frustrated look on her face.

Lily blinked. "I'm sorry what?"

"Adam. I know you think you know who he is, but you don't. He's dangerous, and he'll hurt you." Kit grabbed Lily's arm. "You need to trust me. He's nothing but trouble and he'll only make your life worse."

Lily moved back away from her friend. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Lily, I know this seems horrible. But, it's for your own good!" Kit moved towards her again.

Lily retracted, shocked by her friend. "No. Stop saying that. You're wrong. You don't know him."

Kit shook her head. "What has he done to you? That's how guys are. They manipulate you. Come on Lily! You don't need him."

"What if I do." Lily pushed those words as a challenging threat to her friend. She knew Kit, and she didn't understand why she was acting this way.

Kit forced a laugh. "You're not like that. Come on. We've been friends for a long time. You've always made it on your own, just like me."

"What if I don't want to be like that anymore?" Lily moved forward into Kit's face. "What if I'm tired of being independent?"

"You can't think like that, Lily. You don't need to depend on anyone." Kit almost flinched at the look in Lily's eyes.

"Even if it makes me happy? So what? What if it's what I want? There's nothing wrong with having a shoulder to lean on. Adam has been that shoulder." Lily could feel her eyes water as she shook her head. "I used to agree with you about that whole feminism stuff you used to go on about. But now, I regret listening to you."

Kit pointed her finger in Lily's face. "Don't you dare talk down what I believe in."

"You should take your own advice." There was a long silence filled with tension like a chandelier being held up by a thin string. "Self confidence doesn't mean treating guys like dirt." The string broke. "Independence doesn't mean being lonely and bitter! If you really are my friend, you would want me to be happy. Adam makes me happy, so back off." Lily tried to push past Kit.

"No, Lily wait." In the struggle, Kit accidentally pulled one of Lily's crutches from under her. She watched in horror as her friend smacked against the pavement. There was a short yelp of pain from Lily as she clenched her teeth from the feeling in her leg. The fixator rattled the bone in her leg which caused a shot of intense pain. She felt the pain in her face soon after she noticed that her glasses were broken. "Lily, I'm sorry! Let me help you!"

"No!" Lily scrambled back up with her crutches and tucked her glasses in her pocket. "I'm going."

"Where?"

Lily kept moving away. "I need him."

Kit furrowed her brow in frustration. "Why?!"

"Because I love him! I love him. He makes the world feel brighter every time I see him! And, I don't care that we're different. Because I don't love him that way! I love his kindness. Adam and his son Daniel have become like a family to me. That's what _I_ want. It's not selfish to do what's best for me! Kit, don't make me choose between you and him. That's not what friends do."

Kit opened her arms wide. "I am your friend."

Lily wiped the tears from her eyes. "I thought you were." Quickly turning around, she made her way down the street towards the bus stop.

"Lily! Wait!" Kit felt eyes watching her. Turning around she saw Reina with her fists on her hips with a frown conquering her face. The others had come outside too. They'd all been watching. Reina pointed towards her office. Kit said nothing. She looked at the faces of all her fellow employees. They carried the same look, disappointment. She looked once more to Lily who was now out of her sight. Without protest, Kit walked with her head down into Reina's office.

Lily eventually made it back to her cousin's apartment where she was able to wash some of the blood off of her face and her leg. The bolts which kept the fixator attached to her leg had opened up her skin a bit more. She winced as she washed off her leg and smothered the open areas with antiseptics to prevent infection. She took more of her antibiotics to be doubly safe. Lily pulled out her broken glasses from the pocket of her overalls. The right lens was shattered from where she landed on her face. The hinge was broken and the temple was bent. It was her favorite pair.

She managed to fish out her old pair of glasses. They were older and slightly smaller but they were better than nothing. Without glasses she was almost blind.

Putting on a casual outfit for her date with Adam, she froze as she looked at herself in the mirror. She remembered then what she had promised Officer's Hopps and Wilde. There was suddenly a dark spot on the evening that was supposed to be the highlight of her life. She was basically going to spy on Adam Wolff while Hopps and Wilde sat in a van and listened. Her phone suddenly lit up with a text. It was them. She let out a sigh, realizing that they were waiting at the bottom of the apartment complex. Grabbing her wallet and sticking it in her back pocket, she headed out the door.

Hopps and Wilde were picking her up in the van. "So, Nick." Judy adjusted the driver side mirror as Lily stepped in and buckled up. "How exactly did you convince Officer Snow to lend us this van?"

Nick shrugged as he fiddled with a tiny earpiece that was no bigger than a claw. "When dealing with other animals, I find it best to understand their wants." Nick laughed to himself. "It was just a matter of finding out what Officer snow wanted."

Judy clicked her tongue in thought. "So, what was it that she wanted that you happened to provide?"

Nick smirked "I got her a date with on of Mr. Big's guards."

Judy faced him in disbelief. "Who?"

"Remember Raymond?" Nick finished setting up the earpiece. "Let's just say they hit it off pretty well and she was suddenly very forthcoming and generous enough to lend us this van."

Judy started up the van and headed towards the Rainforest district. "Wait a minute. How did _you_ know she wanted a date?"

Nick waved a dismissive paw as he carefully placed the microphone in one of Lily's ears. "You know how it is. One hears things, rumors…"

Nick could see Judy giving him the stink eye. "You went through her browser history didn't you."

Nick groaned. "Yeah. But hey, I didn't have to look far. Her history was loaded with different dating sites she had checked out."

Judy shook her head as she took the off ramp. "Falling back into our old habits, are we?" The rest of the drive was uneventful. They parked the van around the corner and out of sight of the Wolff residence. Judy turned around and faced Lily. "You okay? You're sure you're up for this?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay then. Good luck!" Nick slapped on a headset and adjusted the microphone as Lily stepped out of the van. The moment Lily closed the door, Judy punched Nick in the arm. "Owe! What was that for?"

Judy Deadpanned. " _Okay then. Good luck!_ Couldn't you see that she wasn't fine?"

"Okay, yeesh. I'm sorry." Nick reached into his pocket as his phone vibrated. He verbalized his response to the text, knowing that Judy would want him to remind friends that he was on duty. "Can't talk now, on duty. I'll call you asap."

"Who's that?" Judy tilted her head a bit as Nick was a bit reluctant to answer her question.

"Oh, it's Kit. She's upset about something." Nick put his phone away as he worked on tuning out interference on the receiving end of Lily's microphone.

"You seem a bit concerned, considering she's your ex girlfriend." Judy crossed her arms as she threw a teasing smile Nick's way.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Actually, we've come to sort of an understanding and we've decided to," Nick looked back to the console in front of him, "try again."

This took Judy by surprise a bit. "Oh. Alright." She felt a little odd.

Nick caught on to this odd tone in Judy's voice, but he quickly brushed it off and took a sip of coffee from an open foam cup as he announced, "She's in place."

Lily knocked on the door. The moment she saw Adam, a sad smile dawned on her face. "Hey."

Adam frowned a bit. "Lily, what happened are you okay?" He was looking at her eye which was a little swollen around her brow and cheek.

"Oh, it's nothing. I fell. And, yeah." She entered as Adam gestured for her to come in.

He led her to the kitchen where she saw that dinner had already been made. "Does it hurt?" Adam was pulling a jar out of the cupboard.

"A little." Lily noticed the jar. "What is that?"

Adam smiled a bit. "An old family remedy. My grandmother alway kept a jar of this around." He dipped a digit into the goop. "May I?" Lily nodded and closed her eyes as he applied the strange substance to her eyelid and the surrounding area. "It's vaseline and cayenne pepper. It helps. I can give you a jar of this if you like. I have extras jars because I make it for the Red family next door as well."

Lily smiled as she opened her eyes. It didn't stop hurting all together, but it was a little better. "Thank you."

They eventually sat down and ate dinner with an old tube radio playing music in the background. Adam had prepared lasagna. It was the recipe she had gotten from her cousin Benjamin Clawhauser. And, as Adam made it, it was almost better. Almost. Something wasn't quite right though. But then again, Benjamin's lasagnas were never always the same. Adam asked about him and was glad to hear that he was going to make a full recovery from his injuries during the whole TNT fiasco. This stemmed a conversation about the now famous Whiplash who became the newest buzz on social media and in the news. Adam was a little reluctant in this topic, but he gave his _two cents_ as it were. Lily could hear Nick and Judy getting excited about this topic through the earpiece. Lily did her best to act naturally as they talked her through getting Adam to say more about Whiplash.

"Well," Adam shrugged, "I don't know what more there is to say." He thought on it. The pleading look from Lily made him crack, though. "But, I will say that I know why the police are after him. He's a vigilante. And, taking the law into your own hands is illegal, but it's illegal because the police don't want people to get hurt doing it. They're afraid he might get others hurt or even get himself hurt."

Lily could hear Nick and Judy as they were surprised by this observation. "Do you think he respects the police." It was a small push, but Lily felt a strange joy when Judy told her that _it was a nice discreet push_.

"Of course he does. I mean. He certainly went out of his way to Help Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde." Adam forked the last bite of lasagna into his mouth.

A questioning look grew on Lily's face. "How did you know it was Hopps and Wilde." Nick was clearly audible through the earpiece as he dropped his pen and asked Judy if they got it.

Adam froze a bit. He then swirled his fork in the air as he finished chewing. Standing up, he grabbed a newspaper. "It was in the news paper." He showed her the headline. "Hero Cops Saved By Super Hero." He sat back down.

Lily heard Nick mumble over the earpiece. A realization dawned on her. Did they think Adam was Whiplash. It seemed a bit ridiculous. No, she thought, it was downright silly. Adam was the least likely of people to ever be a superhero. He might have been a super dad and a hero to Daniel, but he wasn't Whiplash. "Matilda at work, she talks a lot about him. She's following all these posts of Whiplash sightings."

Adam laughed. "Daniel is the same way. Once he read about it in the paper and told Caleb about it, the two have been on a superhero binge lately."

After cleaning up, Adam showed Lily all the drawings Daniel had made of Whiplash. They were clearly a kid's drawings. Lily smiled at how they were held onto the fridge by magnets just below the vocabulary test with an A+ on it. "Is this one of you?" Lily spotted a drawing of Daniel and Whiplash fighting dark monsters coming out of a door while Adam was cheering them on.

"Yeah." Adam coughed a bit as he forced a smile. "Daniel says that's his favorite."

Lily noticed Adam's reaction to the drawing. "What are the monsters?"

Adam laughed a bit. "The monsters in my closet." He shook his head. "You see, I have a bit of a sleeping disorder. And, when Daniel asked me about it, I told him I had trouble sleeping because of monsters in my closet."

Lily frowned. "Is it because of what happened with your family?"

Adam was somewhat taken aback by this question. "Things happened. There are things I wish I could change. But, it still happened. And when I think about it, in this moment, I wouldn't have anything change if I had the power to change it."

"Why do you say that? Wouldn't you want to save them? Your family?" Lily was puzzled by the smile on Adam's face.

"I do miss them. And, I don't. I know they loved me. Because of that, they're never really gone." Adam pointed to his heart. "They're in here. So, in a way, they never really left." Adam's smile turned sad but only for a moment. "And, besides. If none of that happened, I probably wouldn't be the person I am today. I might never have met you. But, it did happen. I'm here today."

Lily felt her heart soar as he looked at her. "We've had the chance to meet each other."

Adam turned to face Lily. "Yeah. We have." Their eyes seemed to glisten to each other. Lily raised her paw and cupped his face as she brushed a thumb across his face. "Am I still a dork?"

Lily burst into laugher. However, the fit of happiness was short. "Yes," she said, "but you're my dork."

Adam's breath seemed to quicken as his smile faded slightly. "Lily. I need to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"Lily." Adam's heart rate seemed to soar through the roof, and Lily could feel it as his heartbeat echoed through his body, through his face and into her paws. "Lily. I know now. This time I'm sure of it."

"Adam?" Lily felt her face flush as he brushed his paw against her cheek.

"I love you." The radio was still playing music in the background, but neither could tell. As Lily smiled, they both knew.

They seemed to gently rock to the music. It wasn't dancing, Lily thought, but it was enough. She closed her eyes as she gently brushed her nose against Adam's. But as quickly as the moment came, it was stopped by a high pitched noise that sounded from Lily's ear. She pulled her face away from Adam as she heard Judy yelling at Nick to stop the noise.

"What was that sound?" Adam said bluntly, confuzed.

Tears began to well up in Lily's eyes. "I'm sorry." Embarrassed she bolted for the front door crying again, "I'm sorry, I have to go!"

"Lily?" Adam called after her, but she was already out the door. "Lily!" Adam rushed to the door, but once he got there, she was gone.

Nick was continuously fiddling with knobs he never had to work before. "Come on, come on."

"What do you suppose happened?" Judy looked to Nick full of concern.

Suddenly the door to the van slammed open. A red eyed Lily faced the two of them. She pulled the earpiece out and dropped it in Nick's coffee. Before either of them could say anything, Lily stormed off into the night. Nick carefully removed his headset as he ran his paws over his face and grabbed his ears.

Judy crossed her arms. "What? You gonna complain about a three hundred dollar earpiece just went into your coffee?"

Nick shook his head with a distant expression on his face. "It was their moment."

Judy's ears went down at that statement. "What?"

"I'm such a fool." Nick breathed deep as he tossed his coffee out of the van. "I turned up the volume and hit record because I thought he was going to tell her he was Whiplash." Nick reversed the recording and played it forward. "This confession was more important to her, and I ruined it." Nick's head hung low.

Judy felt a pang in her chest. "I never knew you thought that way."

"When I'm not busy acting like a hot shot," Nick closed up the van and sat in the passenger seat up front, "I guess I do."

Lily kept up her pace down the sidewalk as she approached the center of the Rainforest District. All the shops had shut down and closed up for the night. A echoing sound signaled the chain reaction of sprinkler heads opening up. After a few seconds, the artificial rain eventually came down on Lily. She felt inclined to stop once she found the nearest bench. It was on the balcony next to the bridge. Lily sat there in the rain. She only knew she was crying because her tears were hot in the cold of the rain, but as she felt her face, it all felt the same. She thought about how she hated the rain.

A sound alerted her. Single lamp post down the way was flickering. The flickering light bulb was the first thing she noticed. But, as she looked down, she saw it. There was a dark figure watching her. Without warning, the light shut off. Lily stood up with her crutches, afraid of what was in the dark. She tried to see if anything was moving in the dark. The rain made this impossible as it masked both sight and sound. After a single movement forward, Lily found herself thrusted backwards out of her crutches to the ground with a paw choking her throat.

She could see the dark figure face to face. The figure's black bird mask was contrasted only by glowing white eyes. Lily felt her breath leaving her as she choked. She thought she was going to die when a loud crack made her ears ring. Looking up, she saw the dark figure struggling with something around its neck. Suddenly the figure was yanked backwards by something. The figure smashed into a lampost.

Once Lily had caught her breath, she sat up immediately to see what had happened. Another figure had appeared. The red belt and the reflective lenses of his mask made him unmistakable. It was Whiplash. The dark figure had sprung back to its feet. Shooting up it revealed a large set of mechanical wings. In this quick ascension, the dark figure managed to stick a solid kick to Whiplash's upper jaw. Disorientated by the kick, Whiplash was left vulnerable for another blow as the dark figure landed a solid hit with its fist to his spine.

Lily grabbed one of her crutches and threw it with all her might. It hit its mark, striking the dark figures face. It was just enough of a distraction for Whiplash to regain his stance. The dark figure spread it's wings and lunged at Lily, but it was stopped by another loud cracking sound. Whiplash had caught it by the leg and begun to swing it full circle in the air. Eventually, he maneuvered his whip to release the dark figure.

Lily stood up with one crutch as Whiplash ran to her with the other one. Quickly handing off the other crutch, he ordered Lily to stay close to him. The dark figure reemerged and perched itself on the edge of the bridge. Whiplash took a stance in front of Lily with his whip in one hand and an tranquilizer gun in the other. The black figure made no sound and simply dived off the side of the bridge. Lily watched as the dark figure disappeared into the night.

The sprinklers stopped, and so did the artificial rain.

Whiplash turned to Lily who wasn't sure whether to be afraid of him or thank him for saving her. "Thank you." She settled with a thank you.

"I should be thanking you," his voice surprised her, "if you hadn't thrown that crutch, I may not have been able to keep fighting." He stared at her a bit. "Here." He opened a pouch on his belt and pulled out a jar. "You forgot this."

Lily was so distracted by the mechanical ears of his mask that she almost didn't notice the jar being held out in front of her. "What?" After she took the jar, she watched as Whiplash walked off into an alleyway tangled with vines. "Wait a minute." Lily recognised the strange goop in the jar. "It can't be." She rushed towards where Whiplash had disappeared. At the end of the alleyway, there was a dead end. Disheartened, Lily turned back. Though she could clearly see now that the rain was gone, she still missed a single vine which caused her to trip. But, she didn't fall. She felt herself being pulled back up right. She saw Whiplash move from behind her to leave the alleyway. "Wait!" As Whiplash halted, she could see that he had no tail. "Adam?"

Whiplash turned to face her. After he was two feet away from Lily, he stopped. "I'm the one who should be sorry." His voice was still muffled by his mask. "I wanted to tell you everything, but I was afraid that you'd somehow get hurt. It seems I was wrong. Just by loving you, I've put you in harm's way."

Lily moved forward until she was inches away. She removed her arms from her crutches and moved her paws around Whiplash's neck. She found the zipper and undid it. Gently, she pulled the wet mask from his face. "Adam."

Adam gave a weak smile. "Yeah." His face began to tremble. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You had a right to know."

Lily nearly flinched at the blood dripping off of his chin. "You're hurt."

"It happens." Adam nodded. "With what I do, that's also why I was afraid of what you'd say."

Lily shook her head. "Nothing will stop me from loving you, Adam Wolfenstein."

"What?" Adam blinked in astonishment.

Lily smiled at that. He was still a dork. "I said, I love you." Before Adam could say anything, he felt Lily press her lips against his. It was quick. And when she faced him after pulling away, her smile grew wider than it had ever been before. "Take me home."

Adam raised a brow, still a bit in shock from what had just happened. "Where's home?"

Lily let her head rest on his shoulder. Placing a paw on his chest, over his heart, she said, "Wherever you are."

Adam pulled his mask back on and carried Lily out of the alleyway towards a motorcycle. After clipping Lily's crutches to the side of the motorcycle with a couple of bungee cords, he mounted it with Lily behind him. "Hold on." She did. As she hugged him tightly, she watched as the center of the Rainforest District rushed behind them. Lily thought about how she could learn to love the rain.


	16. Chapter 16

Whiplash

Chapter 16 "Ex's & Oh's"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick rubbed his temples as he poured coffee into a mug. It hadn't been a great night for him. With what had had happened last night, he just couldn't get any sleep. Guilt had betrayed him of such luxuries as sleep. There was that, and when he tried to call Kit, she never answered back. Nick thought about where this all began. It all started when, what seemed like, a simple case of robbery turned out to be much bigger. It lead them to one of the biggest contraband busts in the history of the Zootopia police department. And now, they were chasing shadows of an old forgotten past. Adam Wolff was suspected of being the vigilante known as Whiplash. It all seemed surreal to Nick. It really did seem like it was straight out of the pages of a comic book.

A knock at the door ripped Nick from his trance like thoughts. He knew it wasn't Judy, because it was their day off and he knew she was going to visit her brother today. Setting his coffee aside, he dragged his feet across the hardwood floor of his apartment. Stopping at the door, he lifted his arm. The lack of odor surprised him at first, but then he remembered. "Oh, yeah." Nick recalled how he had sat in his shower for hours the previous night. It was probably going to appear on his next utilities bill, but it was worth it to him at the time. With a sigh, he muttered something about _no soliciting_ as he opened the door. His eyes grew as he shook his head of his dazed state. "Kit? What are you doing here?"

The fox in question held a sad look that Nick had never seen on her before. "Nick, I screwed up." Nick opened the door more and motioned for Kit to come in. Closing the door, he rushed over to his futon and pulled it up into its couch form. Nick gestured for her to sit down. Sitting next to her, he sat in silence. He knew that Kit would tell him what was wrong when she was ready. That's how she was. "Nick. Do you really think I'm terrible?"

Guilt dealt Nick a heavy blow as he clenched his eyes shut. "No, I don't really think that. It was just my stupid way of trying to move on."

"I feel terrible." Kit flinched as Nick brought his arm around her. "I hurt my friend yesterday. And, she said some things that got me thinking, a lot." She seemed to stare out into space as she spoke her mind to Nick. "I really did act like I was better than you."

Nick couldn't help but laugh. "You were the dominant one in that relationship. And, I was fine with that. That's who you are."

Kit shook her head. "I never thought I'd hurt my friend with that attitude. I'm so selfish."

"Hey." Nick rubbed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "Tell me what really happened." As he listened to the story of the conflict between Kit and Lily, Nick could help but feel even more upset about what had happened last night. Not only was there tension between these two friends, but he had also hurt Kit's friend as well. He wasn't going to mention that to her. Actually neither he nor Lily could tell her what went down that night has it was classified. Well, Lily could have told Kit. But, she didn't strike Nick as someone who couldn't keep secrets. "First off. I am on your side, but what you said to Lily was wrong."

Kit retracted from him. "Nick!"

"I said I'm on your side. I didn't say you were right to interfere with their relationship." Nick grabbed Kit by the shoulders. This surprised her. "My partner, Judy, she isn't exactly okay with us trying to be together again. She won't say it, but I can tell. Kit, she doesn't openly object or try to fight me about it because as my friend she wants me to be happy. That's one of the most important things about friendship. You won't always agree with your friends or what they think, but they're still your friends. You got to think about her happiness as well as your own. Lily wasn't being selfish. She was just looking out for her own happiness. She doesn't want to hate you. She doesn't hate you." Nick looked blankly into Kit's eyes. "It was just a stupid argument."

That last remark resonated with Nick. Kit noticed this. "Like us? All those years ago." Nick felt himself relax at that. That's really what it was. He remembered how it ended on that sour note. And now, to some degree of ridiculousness, they were back where they started. Nick imagined two bickering children. That's what they were, they were young. He was twenty three and she was nineteen. He met her at the coffee shop where he first started selling pawpsicles with Finnick. She always bought a pawpsicle on her lunch break. He later learned that she did that just to see him. Nick remembered what it was like then. Nine years ago, it was thrilling to hear a beautiful fox like her call him cute.

"How far we've come." Nick smiled.

"I know." Kit sighed. "Your apartment doesn't stink."

Nick faked a frown. "It's a different apartment."

Kit shook her head with a smile. "It took you nine years to find a dustpan and broom."

Nick laughed when an idea popped into his head. "I got it."

Kit looked at him as he got up. "Where are you going?"

"To get dressed." Nick pointed to his dresser.

A devious smile crept onto Kit's face. "Need some help?"

Nick ignored that comment as he stepped into the the bathroom with some clothes he pulled from his dresser. He just grabbed a pair of jeans he had and his ZPD sweater. Discarding his night clothes into the bathroom hamper, he stepped out and grabbed Kit by the paw. "Come on."

Kit rolled her eyes. "Where are we going?"

Nick gave her the warmest smile he could possible produce in that moment. "We're going to get pawpsicles." The walk was a little more that what you could expect to see around Zootopia. The sections of endless sidewalks they crossed seemed to produce hopeful little scenes as if by magic. Children were playing hopscotch and jumping rope, neighbor were greeting each other with bright _good mornings_ , and shop owners welcomed their customers as they entered to view their wares and products. Nick could see Kit looking distant as she caught the stink eye from a few wayward prey animals. Giving her a reassuring smile, he whispered, "Hey. Don't let them see that they get to you."

Kit's frown dissolved into a somewhat happier expression. If there ever was a thing that she like about Nick, it was his attitude towards discrimination. But now, it seemed different. She noticed that had changed in him. "Wait a minute. I know this place."

The Snarlbucks Kit pointed brought a smile to Nick's face. "It's where you used to work." Nick remembered the old coffee shop before Snarlbucks had purchased the building. Continuing on, Lemming Brothers Bank was Just ahead. And sure enough, there was Finnick setting up the pawpsicle stand for the lunch rush. "Hey Finnick! Where's the elephant onesie?"

"Foo'. I'll face off!" Finnick noticed Kit and said nothing. He knew what happened. And frankly, he didn't like to get into Nick's personal life. "Whatcha doin' here Nick? You coming to shake down my business?"

"Come on, buddy. Now why would I do that to a friend like you?"

"Cuz." Finnick growled. "You're workin' with the fuzz now. It's already been hard enough without you."

Nick sighed. "You know how our arrangement goes. You sing the words on the street, and I look the other way."

Finnick shook his head. "Sorry man. I've just been antsy since that Whiplash guy's been crackin' down on thugs."

Nick handed Finnick a twenty dollar bill. "Two pawpsicles, and keep the change for your troubles." Kit looked back and forth between Nick and Finnick, somewhat curious.

Finnick held the twenty up to the light to make sure it was real. "Alright." After handing Nick and Kit their pawpsicles he folded his arms. "There's a few words going around. First off, this Whiplash guy seems to only be going after criminals who are harming other animals. He ain't after guys like me who are just trying to make a living."

Nick nodded after taking a lick of his pawpsicle. "Yeah. That seems to fit with his reputation. What else do you got."

"Well." Finnick looked around to see if there was anyone else listening. For the most part, they were alone on that block. "There's another player in this madness. He calls himself the Raven. The word is that Whiplash took quite the beating from this guy."

"Really?" Nick was a little worried by that. TNT was bad enough. But to think that another animal was out there, it shook him even more to know Whiplash had met his match. He felt his arm being squeezed by Kit.

"I ain't gonna lie Nick." Finnick shook his head. "I don't know who's worse."

This simmered over Nick's conscience as he walked Kit over to the park. He battled with himself over that. It was his job to find and apprehend Whiplash, but with this Raven character on the loose, morality seemed to gray. Things weren't black and white anymore. On one hand, there was a vigilante who roamed the streets to protect innocent animals from harm's way. Now the Raven has appeared with an agenda that was even more ambiguous. There was one thing Nick did know. If the Raven wanted to attack Whiplash, that meant they didn't have shared interests. That, or the Raven didn't like competition. Nick was leaning more towards the notion that this Raven guy wasn't a stranger to crime.

"Nick? You okay?" Kit's voice halted Nick's train of thought.

"Oh, sorry." Nick looked and saw that Kit had finished her pawpsicle while his had begun to melt in his grasp. "Oh, great."

"Here." Kit dumped Nick's dripping pawpsicle into a nearby trash bin and pulled him over to a park drinking fountain. "Hold down the button." Nick did as he was told and watched as Kit scrubbed the fur of his paw out under the water. "I can see you're a little on edge about what Finnick told you." Nick laughed at how much of an understatement that was. "I wouldn't dwell on it too much." Nick felt a sense of relief flush his system. He was glad Kit was there. He almost couldn't believe it had been nine years since they broke up. Her willingness to try again surprised Nick as well. Second chances were a rare commodity for him. The only other rarer thing was a chance to begin with. It was originally Nick who decided to give Kit a chance all those years ago. He really didn't know her that much then. He just knew that her father passed away while she was still in school. At this time, that fact that they were both giving each other a second chance brought a smile to his face. Nick thought about how Judy was the first to give him a second chance. That made him smile a bit more. Kit saw the smile on his Face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Nick lied as Kit finished getting all the pawpsicle drippings off of his paw. "Well, I was thinking about you." Nick flinched internally because he lied again. The thought of Judy was still fresh in his mind.

"Aw," Kit exaggerated, "how sweet!" Dropping the antics, she pulled Nick's paw from the water and used his own shirt to dry it off. When he looked at her in protest, she just said, "What? I wasn't going to use my shirt."

Nick laughed. "I've missed your humor."

Kit tilted her head up and bumped her nose against Nick's. "Well. This has been great. I really mean that." Kit grabbed Nick's paw again just to hold it. "I needed this. Thank you." Embracing Nick, she let out a sigh. "Anyway. I need to get to work soon. I'll see you around."

Nick waved goodbye as Kit walked away. As he walked the opposite direction, he paused to question his memory about whether Kit actually worked today. He settled on the belief that last week was her Sunday off. "Yeah." Nick nodded as he caught a taxi to the police station. Suddenly he felt his back pocket vibrate. Nick pulled out what was causing it. It was a phone. It was another burner phone. Nick didn't know how it got in his pocket. He left the phone Savage gave him at home. Nick flipped the phone open and answered it.

"You're looking well today Detective Wilde." It was Agent Savage.

Nick froze. He looked around to see where he could be, but to no avail. "How did you get this phone on me?"

"That's not important right now. However, I do suggest that you pay a visit to Donald Q. and ask him about what you learned from Mr. Finnick." That really set off Nick.

"You were watching me?" Nick now was frantically searching for Savage. He looked for anything. A parked taxi, a van, or even someone pretending to read a newspaper. Nick's eye caught sight of a newspaper, but he was disappointed to see a rabbit who lower the newspaper and wave cheerfully at him. It was just his neighbor, Phil. Nick gave a weak wave back and continued down the street.

Savage laughed over the phone. "You won't find me Nick. I find you. And I must say, when I found you today, I was impressed by how lovely your lady friend was. Compliments aside, I still stand by what my assistant said to you over the phone."

"Trust no one. I know." Nick stopped as a taxi came to a screeching halt next to him.

"It's good to know you're listening. I've sent you a taxi to take you to the police station. I'll ask you to hand the phone to the driver as you get in. Have a nice day." With that, the line went dead.

Nick looked at the driver. He was a camel chewing on a toothpick. "You Wilde?" Nick handed him the phone. The camel looked at it for a bit before he put it into a paper bag and crushed it with a pair of pliers. "Get in." Neither spoke on the way to the station. When they arrived, the camel turned around. "Remember. Trust no one." Nick nodded in agreement before exiting the Taxi.

Once he stepped through the doors to the police station, he immediately saw a handful of new recruits huddled together talking about what their first day on the job would be like. Nick remembered his first day. He had back talked Chief Bogo, much to Judy's amusement, and he also took in his old pal flash for racing up and down streets of Savannah Central. Nick would admit that he missed those days when he and Judy were just regular good old cops. Being a detective was somehow lacking. There was something satisfying about chasing down a quick bad guy or two and basic law enforcement.

Nick could argue with the pay though. He was getting paid more, but it still wasn't the same. The real problem that he recognized wasn't the fact that he was a detective. The real problem was the case. He figured once this whole thing had come to a close that things would go back to normal. It would go back to him and Judy patrolling and enforcing. Nodding to himself, Nick concluded that that was it. Against superheroes, cops seemed a little useless. He shook off that thought as he returned his focus to the matter at hand.

"Ah yes, the nerd cave." Nick smirked as he knocked on the door to the forensics department. A rather inquisitive looking wildebeest who was munching on a cup of wheatgrass answered the door. "Uh, hi. Is Donald Q. in by any chance?" The wildebeest nodded. "May I see him?" Nick tried _hard_ not to be angry when his question was met with a blank stare. "I'm Detective Wilde, I need to speak with Q." Nothing. Nick looked past the wildebeest and saw Q sitting at his desk at the end of the room. That was until the wildebeest moved to block Nick's view.

Suddenly a voice came from behind the wildebeest. "Q! Dwight is doing it again!"

Nick heard a very audible _what_ which was followed up by an angry set of footsteps that pushed the wildebeest out of the way. "Go back to your desk!" It was Q. "Sorry about that Nick. Dwight is uh, new. Come on in. What did you need?"

"I was wondering if you guys had anything about," Nick clasped his paws together as he lowered his voice, "the Raven?" Though he had lowered his voice, the whole room seemed to hear what he said. They all went quiet for a bit. This rattled Nick's mind. The way they looked at him was nothing short of dread.

"Step into my office." Q led Nick to the back and closed the glass door to his office. The walls were glass too, but at least none of the others could hear them very well.

"It seems your staff has heard of him." Nick swallowed the lump in his throat.

Q wiped off his glasses as a seemingly trained response to stress. "I've neglected to say anything because I know you've been working on another case. A lot of cops have neglected to look into this information. Even Bogo walks like we're all on thin ice, but he's still busy with his first case he was working on before I even got here." Q scratched at his ear. "Wait, did the Raven become involved in your case?"

Nick knew he couldn't tell Q anything about his case. "It's complicated."

"Hmph," Q smiled a bit, "you're starting to sound like Bogo." Going over to his computer, Q pulled up the files on his computer. "I'll print them out for you."

Once the printer spat out the pages, Nick picked them up and fingered through them. "How long have these occurances been piling up?" Nick was surprised by the number of accounts. "Wait." Nick stopped at the last account. It had been filed the previous night by a shop owner in the Rainforest District.

Q looked over from the desk. "That one is strange. In all the others, the victims are all prey. That last one is the first case where a prey animal was attacked. The shop owner said he even saw the victim leave with Whiplash."

Nick's eyes searched frantically for the description of the victim. "Prey. Female. Snow Leopard. Handicapped/Crutches." Nick's eyes boggled when he made the connection. "Lily Clawhauser," he whispered to himself.

"Sorry, who?" Q had retrieved a manilla folder for Nick.

"I'm sorry," Nick grabbed the folder and placed the papers inside, "I can't say too much. And please, for your own good, don't mention this to anyone else." Nick rushed out of there and immediately left the station. Catching a taxi, he read through all the files as extensively as he could. He was thirsty for information about this newest piece on the board. His concentration was only briefly broken by the small television set in the taxi. There was a brief mention of a prison break. But, Nick tuned it out as he went back to the papers.

Q was right about the Raven's targets mostly being prey. That didn't explain why Lily was attacked, though. Nick thought about it. If Adam Wolff was really Whiplash, it would make sense for the Raven to attack Lily to draw him out. But, there wasn't enough evidence in that to prove Adam was Whiplash. Lily could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the middle of a fight between Whiplash and the Raven. In that alternate scenario, it also made sense to attack an innocent bystander to push Whiplash's figurative buttons. A means of distraction, Nick thought, to weaken your foe. It was all too much to think about.

Nick closed up the folder. He cleared his head and started again. He questioned himself, what is the motive? Nick went back to the original assumption that Adam Wolff is Whiplash. He mapped it out. Lily left. Adam suits up to follow her to make sure she gets home safely. The Raven shows up. By some circumstance, the Raven attacked Lily. Adam (Whiplash) stops the raven from attacking Lily. The Raven and Whiplash (Adam) exchange attacks. Based on the report, the Raven retreated. The shop owner called the police, leaving his window to go get the phone, and he comes back to the window to see Lily leaving with Whiplash.

It all seemed crazy. "I must be out of my mind."

"Hehehe," the taxi driver's laugh was familiar, "Mr. Wilde. The world is a crazy place. It's natural to connect with what you're a part of."

"Agent Savage?" Nick almost jumped in his seat.

"Yeah. I did promise old Bogy I'd make sure his two most prized officers were safe. So, I thought I'd drive you home. Don't worry about paying, this ride's on the house." An almost devilish smile crept onto Savage's face as he maneuvered a toothpick between his teeth. "I can tell, after taking a gander at that expression you're holding, you're pretty scared right now. Would you mind telling me why?"

Nick took a deep breath. "If our suspect really is Whiplash. It's very probable that the Raven knew who he really was."

"Sure." Savage turned onto Nick's street.

"That means he knew which soft spot to hit!" Nick felt his whole body itch.

"Sure, that's possible too." Savage brought the taxi to a stop outside Nick's apartment complex. "So, you figure this Raven will hit your soft spots too if he notices you and Miss Hopps poking around about him."

Nick felt the weight of his head drag his gaze down to the floor of the taxi cab. "That's right sir."

Savage nodded his head and spat his toothpick out the window. "I must seem insensitive now, but I assure you I'm not. I've just been around long enough to know that these sort of things have a way of turning out in the end. Bogo never saw it that way. He always wanted results when we were partners. I left. I joined the FBI. I met a few more animals like myself. Though, that wasn't to say that some of Bogo hadn't rubbed off on me. I too had my own bit of restlessness when it came to facing the unknown. And in my line of work, you certainly get a heavy dose of that."

Nick was taken aback by this moment. He never expected Savage to be so open about his own personal experiences. "So, what now?"

"Well Officer Wild, I don't fancy myself as much of a sports fanatic. But, you know what?" Savage turned around and smiled at Nick. "Slow and steady wins the race. Keep doing what you're doing. Who knows. Maybe you'll get some help from unexpected places."

Nick nodded. And smiled back as he stretched his arm out. "Thank you. But as always, this conversation never happened."

"Hehehe, you're darned right it didn't." Savage returned the gesture and brought his paw out to meet Nick's in a shake. "But just know, we got your back." Nick smiled once more before grabbing the papers on the Raven and exiting the taxi. "Say hi to Judy for me, she's kinda cute." With his trademark cackle of a laugh, Savage drove off.

"Huh." Nick raised his brow at that. "Kinda creepy." Then he remembered. "Spooky."


	17. Chapter 17

Whiplash

Chapter 17 "Family"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy sat with a content smile in the passenger seat of a white four door SUV. The car wasn't old. It's was moderately new with a fair amount of discoloration that came from extensive use. The car belonged to Theo Felisia, the fiancé to Judy's brother. Her brother, Jacob Hopps, sat in the back seat.

"And that works, and no. That's better." Jacob was going back and forth between a notebook and a tablet. "Yes, that sounds better. Moor cheery and less depressing."

Judy looked at Theo who was driving. "What's he doing?"

A smile caressed the features of Theo's face. "He has an editorial job with a newspaper. I don't know how he manages to do it. His main job is at the computer factory at the edge of Tundra Town. He fixes the machines there."

Judy laughed at that. "I guess he learned a lot from fixing tractors on our family farm."

"He's really good at it. His supervisor is kind of clueless though and knows nothing about fixing things. Jacob only listens to him so that he doesn't get in trouble. It's funny that way." Theo took a quick look at Jacob in the rear view mirror. "When his supervisor's instructions don't work out, it makes Jacob look good for fixing things the right way. He doesn't believe me, but I think he'll be getting a promotion soon."

"I see why he wouldn't want to believe you about being promoted." Judy remembered her brother when he was little. He had his own way of doing things. And, he really was different. "Jacob's a pretty good leader, but he's an operator, not a supervisor."

Jacob looked up from his work to put in his two sense. "I've seen the boss's job, and I don't want it."

Theo laughed. "Yeah. He's like that. It's kinda nice, though. When I ask him to do something, it always gets done. But that's not to say he isn't the backbone of our relationship. It's like you said, Judy. Jacob is a good leader. He just leads from behind. He leads by example. Especially at work."

Judy remembered Jacob when he was still in school. He was always the first to finish his homework, the first to start chores, and the first to help where help was needed. To imagine that he had any free time for himself at all was amazing. However, he would occasionally sacrifice his sleep for his own ambitions. Sometimes he'd drag home something from school that his teacher gave him. Their father Stu would go out to the tool shed to force him to get sleep for school. Before Judy left for the police academy, she would find Jacob asleep over his typewriter with the desk lamp on. That was the hobby Jacob had become the most enthusiastic about. Judy was always impressed by the short stories he would pump out. Jacob never specialized in one specific genre. He was good at applying different elements and complex social views to any topic. Judy's favorite stories that Jacob had written were about an imaginative badger named Andrew who struggled with depression as a child, survived the end of the world, and lived to see society become a futuristic and advanced utopia in his old age. "Did Jacob ever show you his stories?"

Theo practically jumped in her seat with glee. "Yes! When we were writinging letters, I was always asking him about what new stories he had. I was actually worried that he was tired of me asking. He says otherwise, but I think he's just being nice. I helped him edit the seven books he's trying to get published."

Judy could tell Jacob was forcing back a smile and trying to focus on work, but she was happy that Theo's praise of his work was enough to make him feel like he had accomplished something. "Which books is he trying to publish?"

Theo lightly tapped the steering wheel as she recalled the titles. " _Creatures of an Old Religion_ , _Martyr Basco_ , _Monsters and Maniacs_ , the first _Much Ado About Magic_ book, and the trilogy about Andrew the badger. Has he shown you that one?"

"I loved those stories!" Judy pressed her paw over her heart.

Theo flashed a smile towards the engagement ring on her paw. It wasn't the biggest gem, nor was it the most expensive ring. The thin silver band held her birthstone. "It's a little embarrassing, but I always called Jacob my Andrew."

Judy's face lit up at how adorable that idea was. "Aw! That's so sweet."

Jacob had finished editing that article he was working on in time to join their conversation. "And you are my Hope, who waited for me to come home."

Judy was taken aback by her brother. When she was little, she never took him for a romantic. But, he always did seem to have something on his mind. He's sit and just stare up at the clouds with his chin resting on a paw. Jacob probably had the answers to the universe. He just hadn't published it yet. Judy knew how far his ideas could stretch too. He was like an artist whose morals were a lot more accepting to an almost celestial degree. Jacob was engaged to a bobcat, afterall. Their father Stu was more simple and set in the old ways of their grandparents. That was another thing that Judy remembered. Jacob would show their father his stories, always looking for approval or praise of some kind. It was clear that their father Stu had disagreed with some of the story premises that Jacob had written. There was one story that made Stu angry. It was the first story Jacob had written with a mixed species couple. Judy remembered how torn up her brother was because he didn't understand their father's reaction.

Theo pointed out that they were close to their destination. The building was not overly large and seemed abandoned, except there were lights on. It was like it had been rediscovered and repurposed. There was an almost indiscernible rental signed that was painted over with the words _for sale_. That had been covered up by a sticker that read, "SOLD." The red bricks had been long since painted white numerous times across decades. You almost couldn't tell it was a brick building. The paint masked it's age, but by strange coincidence it also showed it. Dirt and dust from wind and time had collected on the shell of white paint.

Much like Theo's car, the building's white paint created the illusion of age and youth's coexistence in one image.

Theo parked her car in the small garage that also sheltered a few other vehicles. When Judy asked what the building was, Jacob explained that he and Theo had purchased the building. "It was actually our counselor's idea, but he gives us more credit than we deserve. The idea was to set up an apartment complex with a _safe_ environment for blended families. By blended I mean, well, I think you know."

Sure enough, Judy saw a teenaged pig chasing a young giraffe running down the stairs. Their zebra mother was yelling at the pig to watch after his little brother. A door opened down the hall revealing a beaver kissing his koala wife goodbye on his way to work. With how strangely natural it all seemed to Judy, she could help but be curious about what her brother said. "Safe? What do you mean by _safe_ environment?"

A sad look overtook Jacob as he looked to his fiancé. Theo wrapped her arms around him as she let out a deep sigh. "It seems that not all animals are open to couples and families like Jacob and myself." Theo seemed to hug Jacob even tighter as she rested her chin on his head.

"We were attacked once." Jacob shook his head in disgust at the idea. "They called us freaks. And they said we were a," he almost couldn't say it, "disgrace to nature. They broke my arm and beat Theodosia." A scowl crept onto Jacob's face.

Judy couldn't believe that animals would do that. Then again, Judy remembered Nick's story about how he was muzzled by the rest of the junior ranger scouts when he was a kid, just for being a predator. The world was already divided enough by predator and prey. To think that prejudice and fear of one another would drive animals to attack her brother and his fiancé was even more heartbreaking. "That's horrible."

"But hey! That's in the past." Jacob grabbed Theo's paw. "Dwelling on the past yields nothing, just more sadness." Jacob and Theo led Judy to a sort of ballroom space. Theo explained how the zebra, Miss Stripes, shared ownership of the building and used this space to teach dance classes. The dance classes had brought a significant amount of additional spending money. All excess money was stored in a bank account for emergency repairs, any upgrades, and anytime they fell short on a payment. "Miss Stripes lets us use this space for our meetings."

The ballroom was a bit strange to Judy in regards to the fact that it seemed like an original part of the building. The hardwood floor had been refinished, but the mirrors along the walls were all noticeably worn in. There were dark spots up and down the corners of the mirrors' edges. When Judy brushed her paw against the mirrors, she was surprised by how clean they really were. There was a strange optical effect with mirrors covering two walls of the room. It looked like the room almost stretched for infinity. Judy saw hundreds of Jacobs and Theos setting up chairs in a circle. Following the stretch of reality, Judy could see the infinite amount of rooms stretch in a curved fashion. The far off rooms were either too dark or curved beyond the edges of the ceiling, out of sight.

"The meeting will begin as soon as the counselor arrives." Jack motioned for Judy to sit next to him and Theo.

Gradually number of animals showed up. Judy noticed how with each couple that entered, there was an older couple that was identical to one of the animals. The sign that was set up on an easel by the door read, "Group Meeting Today: Welcome Parents." Judy put on her warmest smile for every animal that looked at her. As they all took their seats, Judy thought about what had happened to her brother and how he was attacked. She noticed subtle things. There was an old fox, with a walker, wearing a leg brace. What surprised her more was when Officer Tigre with a black eye. He seemed to wince at the pain in his eye, but a camel by his side seemed to make the pain feel like nothing. Judy had no idea he was even married, but he usually was more private that the rest of the officers.

Everyone looked up once the counselor had stepped in. He was a panda dressed in a blue suit with a red tie. "Good morning, friends and families." Each animal took their time to wish him a good morning in return. As he took his seat, he shed off his jacket to reveal the suspenders that held up his slacks. "For those of you visiting with us that don't know me, I'm Dr. Poda."

Officer Tigre seemed cringe as his mother stood up to ask, "What exactly are you Doctor of, Mister Poda?"

"I'm glad you asked." Dr. Poda opened up a briefcase and pulled out a clipboard. "I have doctorates in both psychology and sociology. I am also a licensed professional counselor." Looking down at his clipboard, he noted what was on the agenda for this meeting. "Ah yes," he smiled, "last week we met with one set of parents, and this week we meet with the other set." Dr. Poda looked curiously at Jacob. "Mister Hopps, is it just your mother visiting with us?"

"Oh, no," Jacob corrected him, "this is my sister, Judy. My parents couldn't make it today-." He froze when he saw who was walking through the door to the ballroom. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Dr. Poda turned around. "Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, I presume?"

"Yes," Bonnie yanked her husband along, who seemed like he had bricks for feet, "sorry we're late."

Jacob shot a look at Judy and whispered, "Did you know they were coming?"

"I convinced them to come." Judy moved two seats over to make room for their parents.

Jacob noticeably became tense when his father sat right next to him. Stu seemed more nervous than him, but a strange similarity between them gave the impression that either one could have been looking through an enchanted mirror. The father and son stared anxiously at each other throughout the meeting. Regardless of the dense air that surrounded them both, Stu actually had been engaged and paid attention to the meeting. The meeting had nothing to do with shoving opinions down anybody's faces. Instead, the meeting focused on the parents' acceptance of their children's differences. The bottom line of each parent's understanding came down to the simple truth of happiness. The fact that this theme was so transcendent between families added to the adamant profoundness of their love for each other.

The change in the attitude of Officer Tigre's mother was apparent as she spoke to her son. "My boy, as long as I can remember, I did everything I could to bring you up as well as I could. But, I think one of the things that mattered to me the most was that you could be happy. As your mother I always did the best that I could to make you happy, even when your father left. I supported you in all your endeavors. I went to all your football games, and I was there for you whenever you struggled with homework. I watched you grow into a wonderful tiger. Your entrance into the police academy furthered my pride in you. And, that's what I am. I'm proud of you, my boy. Now I realise that I could have only done so much for you. Now that you're grown, it's become less of my job to make you happy." She turned to her son's wife. "My son is happy because of you, and that means the world to me. Thank you." She couldn't help but embrace the camel then and there. Officer Tigre gently pulled his mother away from his wife. Giving a smile to the woman who had raised him since birth, they embraced.

Dr. Poda hummed at the sight of the son hugging his mother. "Thank you for sharing that with us." He scribbled some notes down on his clipboard and looked up. "Mister Hopps?"

Jacob and Stu simultaneously answered, "Me?"

Dr. Poda laughed. "Jacob. I realize this might be difficult for you, but I'd like to try something different. Would you mind telling me why your father is important to you to you."

"Okay." Jacob looked nervously between his father and around the room. "Well, my father is a bit old fashioned," he hesitated for only a moment until he found the words, "but that's one of the greatest things about him. He told me about how he wanted to be in a jazz band. As a kid I thought it was silly, but when I grew up I thought it was inspired. Until I had thought about it, I never really thought my father had dreams or ambitions beyond his farm. I had asked him why he gave up his dreams to play in a jazz band, so in turn, he told me about how he met my mother. He told me how he had stayed in the band room to practice. He was there for an hour or two, but he didn't notice that my mother was there watching him play. It was after their first kiss at prom that he knew he wanted to marry her. So he did. He told me how he gave up the saxophone to start the farm. I thought this was crazy. I didn't understand it. But I learned that sometimes, your dreams can change. My mother was his new dream. And, so was his family. He wanted the best for us, because he loved us. I know my father loved me. He was always looking out for me. He'd bring me inside when it got too cold. He taught me how to fix things. But, the most important thing that he taught me was family. I saw how much he loved us all. And, I knew when I saw how happy he was with my mother," Jacob gently held Theo's paw in his, "that I wanted the same thing. When I saw how happy my parent's were, I believed they had the greatest love story ever. Why is my dad important to me? He taught me about the important things in life. He taught me how to stand up for myself, how to work, and he taught me about love. I don't know if I can ever repay him for that."

Stu sat in awe at the words his son spoke about him. He never knew that he thought about him that way. Staring until his son met his gaze, he smiled. "Son, you were the most-," Stu couldn't hold back the water works in his eyes, "you definitely were the most challenging son I've ever had. But, that was because I couldn't keep up with your spirit. You chased your dreams, better than I ever could. And for that, I'm proud. Now, you've found a love of your own. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my own son would choose to set out and make his own family because of me. Because of that, you have made me even more proud. I'm not just proud of you, but I'm also proud to be _your_ father. You're so filled with wonder, and I may not understand you fully, but I'll never stop loving you."

Both father and son wiped their eyes as gravity pulled them into embrace each other. Judy couldn't help but hold on to her mother as they watched.

Jacob couldn't break away from his father. "I love you dad."

"I love you too, son." Stu's breath staggered as emotions overcame him. "Always be you. For me, just always be who you are."

After the meeting had officially ended, many of the animals had lingered to converse with one another. Judy was happy to see her mom and dad talk endlessly to Theo. Her mother was most definitely asking about when the wedding would be and if they could host the wedding in their hometown of Bunny Burroughs. Her father seemed to smile contently as he listened to the story of how his son had won Theo's heart. Judy was happy to see her brother talking to Officer Tigre who was doubtlessly telling him funny stories from the breakroom. She eventually wandered over to Dr. Poda who was casually going over his notes as he sat by the door to the ballroom.

Looking up, he noticed her. "Oh, hello there again. Judy. If I'm not mistaken."

"Hi." Judy looked around. "This is all so, inspiring."

"Ah yes," Dr. Poda sat down his clipboard, "to think it all started when all my patients here found out about each other."

Judy looked up at him after noticing a ring on his paw. "So, is your wife?"

"Oh, she's a panda, the same as I. Surprised? Don't be. What you see here around you is a very small group of people. But, it's their common ground that makes them so unique." Dr. Poda casually glanced at his watch. "Oh! Well, I believe I must be going now. I have more obligations to attend to, but I'd like to share one more thing with you. In all my years as a counselor, and as a scientist, there is one thing that counts when it comes to troubled animals.

Judy furrowed her brow in curiosity. "And, what's that?"

"Love conquers all." Dr. Poda smiled at Judy as he stood up. "You have nice day now."

Judy wandered around a bit and conversed with some of the couples. Letting her curious side get to her, she tempted the peace by asking why they had engaged in relationships with different animals. When she was met with almost hostile stares, she explained that she was just genuinely curious. A number of them all started to explain at the same time. These jumbled answers only confused Judy more as she tried to decipher it all.

"Shut it!" The husky voice of the old fox silenced the jabbering animals. "Come over here child. These young whippersnappers will just confuse you more with their psychoanalytic mumbo jumbo." Judy walked cautiously over to the old fox as the other animals went back to their own conversations. "Kids," the old fox spat with a smile. "They get all riled up whenever someone just doesn't know. It's not your fault." He raised a shaky paw from his walker and held it out to Judy. "I'm Tod Hickam."

Judy gave him her paw and shook. "Judy Hopps."

"Ah yes, I know who you are, kid. It's a pleasure to meet the first rabbit cop." Tod caught Judy staring at his leg with the brace. "My son did that to me. I think it's safe to say that he never did approve of my Lucile."

"Who?" Judy asked.

"There she is." Tod gestured to an sweet looking old black sheep that was chatting with others. "After my wife passed away from giving birth to my son, I just couldn't take the loneliness. But, then I met Lucile. We met at a laundromat. I was short a few pennies, and she was generous to give me the change I needed. We started talking and I began courting her. She thought I was crazy." Tod laughed. "She still does. But, I've come to terms with how things really are. Though, my son calls me a traitor. He says, not only because I moved on after his mother died but also because I didn't marry another fox."

Judy felt the urge to ask her same question she asked before. "Why did you marry a sheep. I mean, do you even look at her that way?"

Tod raised his wrinkled brows. "What way?"

Judy fought the twitch of embarrassment from bringing it up. "Are you attracted to her?" Tod erupted into laughter. "Did I say something funny?"

Tod fell into another fit of laughter. "Kids! Indeed!" He took a few deep breaths to get over his laughing fit. Then he became serious. "If there ever was a problem with this generation, it's this grand delusion that attraction is a first priority in relationships. Tell me rabbit. Do you have a lot of friends?"

Judy thought on it. "I have enough friends."

"A good answer." Tod nodded, impressed by what Judy had said. "Now which of your friends would you say is your closest friend?"

One name immediately popped into Judy's head. "Nick Wilde. He's my partner on the force."

"I see. Name some good things about him. Does he have a charming smile? Witty humor?" Tod waited almost anxiously for her to answer.

"Well. Yeah, I guess he kind of has a warm smile. He's good at his job, he's a real sweet guy once you get to know him, he does crack some pretty good jokes, and he's loyal. I mean, as a friend he's very loyal." Judy surprised herself. She never really did get opportunities to praise Nick's character. "He definitely looks out for me. So I guess you could even say he's a fierce friend in the respect that he always checks on me to make sure I'm okay." Judy looked up at Tod who was smiling. "What?"

"Okay, now close your eyes." Judy did as she was told. "Now think about this friend of yours, this Nick. Think about his characteristics and personality traits. Think about his flaws. But remember the attributes that make him so great of a friend. Now forget about him, but remember those traits. Imagine a rabbit. Imagine how he stands, and imagine how he walks. Imagine the clothes he wears. He's a handsome rabbit, at least to you."

Judy got the image in her head. His face was reminisce of a boy she thought was cute in high school. "Okay."

Tod took a breath. "Now, imagine him with the same traits as your friend. Don't think about Nick. Think about the handsome rabbit. His smile _is_ charming. It's alluring and comfortable. Imagine he asks you out on a date. Describe the date."

Judy wasn't sure where Tod was going with this, but she played along. "Okay. He asks me what I'm doing on a Saturday night. I say I'm doing nothing. He casually asks me out. He's more nervous the night of the date than when he asked me out. I find out that he's taking me on a train ride. We're heading towards my home. We're at Gideon's bakery." Judy was actually starting to enjoy imagining this date and how she wanted it. "Neither of us are really dressed fancy, we're just in casual clothes. He orders a blueberry pie." Judy found herself smiling. "He likes blueberries. As we eat, we're talking."

Tod could see Judy was getting into it. "What are you talking about?"

"You know," Judy half laughed, "everything. How work was, and we tell each other the funniest things that happened to us that day. Oh," Judy happily laughed, "he's got blueberry all over his mouth. I help him wipe it off. Even though he insists that he do it himself, he doesn't protest my help. When we're done eating, he takes me to the local fair. We play a few games. It's getting late. He's really tired and bugging me about how much energy I have. Some would say it's not a perfect date, but it's okay because it's real. He takes me back to catch the train back to Zootopia. He takes me back to my apartment. We don't kiss, but we hug goodbye. And that's it. He's respectful goes home to his own apartment."

Tod nodded to himself as Judy kept her eyes shut in her trance. "Now this rabbit. Would it matter if he weren't the most handsome?"

"No." Judy found herself smiling a little bit brighter as she imagined a different rabbit face. "It doesn't matter if he's good looking."

"Sounds like a great fellow if you ask me." Tod's smile dropped. "What if he was a fox?"

Judy's eyes popped open, and the fantasy died in the light that bombarded her. "What are you playing at?" She felt uncomfortable as strange emotions fought with each other.

"A game that I've played with many." Tod looked almost disgusted, or rather disappointed. "You used the attributes of your friend to create that imaginary date. You seemed to be enjoying yourself. That was until the charming rabbit became a charming fox. What if such a rabbit existed? What if he had somehow turned into a fox? Would you still think of him as you did before he was a fox?" Tod saw Judy's discomfort. "Do I think you should date your fox friend? Of course not. But do you see what the problem here is? It was easy to imagine him being that close to you only because I told you to apply his qualities to the face of a rabbit. The face of a handsome rabbit was easy to be attracted to, and once you knew what the rabbit was like, you were able to let go of him being handsome."

"Why do I feel," Judy looked for the right word, "guilty?"

Tod's face turned sad. "You shouldn't feel guilty. We're animals after all. I'm no expert scientist or historian, but I do know one thing. Animals, for many years survived by picking attractive mates. This was before the notion of romantic love. This was before we had time to think about it. They say this world changes. But, some things, they never change. Why? Because we're used to the way things are. However, it is possible for some things to change. It might take them a little longer, but it's possible." Tod looked to his wife. "If I hadn't been lonely, I never would have met Lucile and found out how beautiful of a person she is. These animals you see around you. They're the lucky ones. Something happened that opened up a different reality for them. They were able to find love in places they never would have imagined. Attraction? Ha!"

Judy frowned at that. "What's wrong with attraction."

Tod shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. That is, unless we let it blind our perception of others. Sometimes attraction can misguide us from discovering a good friend. And sometimes, no attraction at all can misguide us from discovering great love."

"Do you remember my question from earlier?" Judy gave a weak smile. "I think I understand now."

Tod raised his brow, amused. "Do you? Okay. Why do you think I married a sheep?"

"Because you loved her." Judy felt like the answer was right. This was confirmed furthermore by the smile that grew on Tod's face.

"Correct." The grin on Tod's face was almost contagious. "It's a simple truth that many choose to over complicate." Tod looked past Judy to see his wife gesturing to him. "Looks like Lucile needs me, but before I go, I'll let you in on a beautiful secret." He fiddled with the gold wedding band he wore. "How attractive someone is isn't the important thing, it's the _love_ that makes you attracted to them. Love conquers all, even image." With those last words, Tod used his walker to support him as he made his way over to his wife.

Judy watched as Lucile pulled her husband's face down to kiss him on the cheek. Judy couldn't get what Tod had said to her out. It was like a seed that had been buried so deep that you couldn't find it to dig it out. Its inception into her mind began to formulate ideas. Judy's train of thought was only interrupted by Officer Tigre.

"Strange seeing you here Judy." Tigre folded his arms as he eyed Tod. "I see you met Tod Hickam."

"Yeah." Judy laughed nervously. "He's interesting."

"You could say that. He and his wife are definitely the oldest of our group. He's rather simple, but I think it's his simple view that make him so profound and complicated." Tigre shook his head with a smile. "Yeah, they don't make 'em like that anymore. Everyone agrees that he's also the bravest."

"The bravest?" Judy asked.

"Oh yeah. To marry outside his species in a time when it was definitely frowned upon? That takes guts." Tigre laughed as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Well Officer Hopps, I'll see you at work."

Judy waved him goodbye as she went back to her thoughts. She looked around the ballroom again. There was a strange optical effect with mirrors covering the two walls of the room. It looked like the room almost stretched for infinity. Judy saw hundreds of Jacobs and Theos picking up chairs and putting them away. She saw her parents in the endless reflection. Her mind came to her partner Nick. She wondered how his day was compared to hers. She wondered what funny stories he would have for her when they went back to work. Judy shook her head to clear it and followed her brother and her parents when they called for her to come out of the ballroom. She looked at her reflection one more time before Theo turned out the lights. Judy saw her silhouette standing in the doorway before she closed it.


	18. Chapter 18

Whiplash

Chapter 18 "Fire And Ice"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy and Nick sat at the front of the briefing room for roll call as usual. Judy was just as quiet as Nick was. However, she was fiddling with each digit of her paws to distract herself. From what? She wasn't even sure of that herself. Nick had informed her about the Raven, and all that development did was just make things appear worse. Dismal, that was a better word for it all. She was just as concerned as Nick was. The idea of cops struggling to control superheros was in short, complicated. The word _complicated_ also extended to Judy's perception of her surroundings. She constantly was forcing herself to look away from others. Her vision was muddled by her struggle to decipher her emotions. Judy's state was only broken by Nick who had nudged her in the side to ask if she was okay. Judy smiled at his attempt to ease her stress. She remembered how he was always looking out after her. He was probably the only cop other than Clawhauser that cared to care.

Nick simply nodded as Judy assured him that she was fine. It calmed his nerves to know that at least one of them was okay. Nick laughed inside, but only to himself. He never thought he would be lucky enough to be where he was. After being on his own for so long, he never thought that he could ever have an honest living. He never imagined that he could ever have mended his relationship with Kit. Looking at Judy, Nick could only smile. He never believed he could ever have an optimistic friend like Judy to hold him up. Nick believed he couldn't have asked for a better partner.

After a long while, all the officers became restless. Chief Bogo hadn't come in on time like he usually did. Everyone began asking around aimlessly. Then, Officer Tigre entered with what appeared to be Bogo's clipboard. Judy gave a friendly wave to the tiger only to be met with a solemn stare. Her ears fell down as Tigre stood at the pulpit. "Morning." Tigre didn't look up. After brushing his eyes, he struggled to control his composure. "I don't know how many of you have heard, or if any of you have heard the news." Taking in a deep breath, he gained the courage to face his fellow officers. "Yesterday, at 19:43, Chief Bogo suffered a heart attack and is now presently in the hospitals. Doctors have said it's not looking good." Without saying anything else, Officer Tigre went on to take roll.

After roll call, Judy studied the pulpit. She knew something was off. "We need to talk to Q."

"What?" Nick stared incredulously. Seeing the look on Judy's face, his attitude changed he had seen this look before. It was the tell tale sign that she was onto something. The usual reason behind this look was because something didn't sit right with her. "What's bugging you?"

"Bogo was as healthy as anyone could be. Doesn't it seem strange that mammal who regularly exercises and eats mostly healthy suddenly suffers from a heart attack?" Judy jumped out of her chair and motioned for Nick to follow.

"What exactly is it that you're hoping to find?" Nick asked.

Judy pointed to nothing in particular with a very matter-of-fact composure. "Actually, it's what I'm hoping to not find."

In Q's office, Nick and Judy noticed that the quoll was very disturbed by something. He neglected to say and carried on with Judy's request without question. He printed out the documents and handed them off. The only other thing he said was to be careful.

Nick looked at one half of the documents that Judy gave him to glance through. "Bogo's health records?"

"Yes." Judy knew what she was looking for.

After sitting at their own personal desks and reviewing the papers for a good two hours, Nick broke away from his work space and snuck over to Judy's. He saw her stack of papers with another small notebook filled up with details. But, he was confused as to why Judy had turned her attention from the papers to her computer screen. He saw that she was browsing through the photos she had of him and her. He smiled at some of them as he recalled the events they were from. Redirecting his attention to Judy, he was once again confused. She had a look he had never seen before as she rested her head on her paw. The best description he could come up with for it was _melancholy_. Then Judy double clicked on a particular picture. It was a picture of them leaning against an interceptor with fresh cups of coffee.

Nick cleared his throat. "Hey carrots."

Judy jumped in her seat and quickly exited the pictures as if she had been caught red handed like a child doing something they weren't supposed to. "Oh, Nick, you scared me. I didn't hear you coming."

Odd, Nick thought. This was on the account that Judy's hearing was exceptionally good. "Okay." He paid it no mind. "I actually noticed something in his family's health records. It appears that Bogo's family has no history of heart attack. The only thing that comes close is this record of a family member whose heart was stopped after being struck by lightning. She was successfully resuscitated. But aside from that, there is no proof that Bogo was susceptible to having a heart attack. And, he certainly had no health issues aside from a broken arm during his early years as a police officer."

Judy's eyes lit up. "Wait. What was that part about the family member who was electrocuted?"

Nick fingered through the pages and read the entry to Judy. "Viola Bogo was reported to have been struck by lightning at 08:57. At approximately 09:10 she was successfully resuscitated by a neighbor trained in CPR. At 09:13 the ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital for a full inspection."

"That's it!" Judy's eyes lit up. "What if Bogo's heart attack wasn't natural?"

Nick laughed. "Judy. You can't be serious. Even if he had been darted, the dart would have been left behind. Even if someone retrieved it, it's not exactly an easy task with crowds these days who like to film everything. If someone did this, they'd have to have been a professional."

Judy thought for a moment. "Why don't we go check on him. Maybe he noticed something strange." She tossed Nick the keys. "Do you mind driving? My nerves are a bit jumpy."

Nick nodded and stuck the keys in his suit jacket pocket. "Alright, carrots."

The drive to the hospital was very frustrating for Judy. She kept avoiding Nick's gaze as he casually glanced to the side to see how she was acting. It was apparent that something was up. It was so obvious that Judy knew she couldn't hide it, especially around Nick. However, she noted that Nick wasn't saying anything. That unbelievably came as a strange comfort to her. The fact that he was able to detect her uneasiness, with coming out with what was on her mind, was astonishing. But, she also felt appreciative of the passing glance he gave to see if she was all right. After a weak smile she gave, Nick's passing glances began to dissipate. That was almost a blessing and a curse to her.

Judy couldn't understand what this whole problem was. It both involved the case and her partnership with Nick. She felt distracted. By what? She couldn't decide. There was the whole idea that Bogo was the victim of an artificial heart attack. But on another note, there was this strange nock in the back of her head. This accumulation of thoughts and memories about Nick was in short, frustrating for her. Time seemed to bend. Because by the time she had scratched the surface of these thoughts, they had already arrived at the hospital.

Nick cringed at the familiar smell of the hospital. Their quick meet with the receptionist lead them to the elevator to the third floor. Nick looked up at the ceiling of the elevator. It was one of those metal ceilings that had been polished so well that is was as reflective as a mirror. A quick flash entered Nick's mid. A strange daydream manifested. In it, Nick was old and on his deathbed at the hospital. He was looking up, confused by his own reflection. Nick was asking himself if that old wrinkled face was his. Kit was in this strange fantasy. She had a wedding ring and was holding his paw. She was just there. And Judy, she was there too. Nick broke out of the daydream when the imaginary Judy asked him why he couldn't remember her. Shaking the chills from the strange idea, Nick looked back up into the mirror. He saw that Judy's ears were droopy. He only recognized this because of an article he had read offhand.

"Hey, Judy." Nick pat her on the shoulder. The moment her ears went up when she looked at him, he smiled. "Perk up."

Entering the room where Bogo was, they both were a bit tense. Bogo was staring at his left arm as he seemed to test its movement. He gave them a quick glance and went back to observing his arm. He seemed distant. Nick registered this mood as similar to the time when he first woke up after being darted at the Cooning warehouse.

Judy approached him first. "Chief Bogo. It's good to see you're awake and doing well." She was a little disheartened by his lack of acknowledgement. "Sir, we'd like to ask you a few questions."

Nick stepped up next to Judy. "You know you can always trust us sir."

Both Nick and Judy were taken aback by a somewhat sadistic laugh that came from Bogo. He turned and faced Nick. "You expect me to trust a _fox_?"

Nick stepped closer, a little irritated. "Sir, you can't be-." Nick found his voice suddenly cut off when Bogo grabbed him by the neck and pulled him closer.

Judy felt her heart race as Nick started to cough. "Nick!"

"Stay back," Bogo ordered, "Or I'll break his neck!"

Nick felt his breath return as Bogo slightly loosened his grip. Getting a good look at Bogo, he noticed his eyes directing his attention elsewhere. Nick followed the direction. In the corner of his eye, he saw a security camera with a blinking red light. It was strange, because it didn't match the rest of the cameras that laced the hallways. Nick caught on. "Judy, trust me. Just stay back."

Bogo pulled him closer a whispered. "Keep it _safe_."

Nick felt Bogo tap his neck three times. Then he felt him trace a circle. Bogo tapped his neck four times and traced another circle. Nick tried his best to pay attention with Bogo's grasp on his neck. He felt a single tap. There was a short pause, and then there was six more taps. Nick gasped as Bogo let him drop to the floor.

"Nick! Are you alright?" Judy quickly yanked Nick away from the side of Bogo's bed.

At that point, an otter nurse walked in. "Excuse me? Is everything alright in here?"

Nick stood up and put on his best smile. "Oh, fine Miss. I just slipped and fell. That's all. Silly me. I'm surprised Detective Hopps still wants me as a partner with how clumsy I am." The nurse simply smiled and walked away, shaking her head. Nick dropped the act and grabbed Judy by the arm. "Come on. Let's go."

Bogo watched as the bewildered Judy found herself being practically dragged out of the room. He smiled weakly at the two. "Good luck." Bogo turned at the sound of rustling curtains.

"Chief? What was that about?" Benjamin Clawhauser had yanked the dividing curtains out of the way. His was was a little red from the jello he was eating.

"Nothing Clawhauser." Bogo shook his head. Of all the rooms he could have landed in, he got this one.

Nick drove a bit faster than normal as he continuously muttered the same incoherent set of numbers to himself. Judy braced herself as Nick wove through the traffic and made it back to the police station in half the time it took them to get to the hospital. Rushing inside, Nick bolted for Chief Bogo's office. Judy was surprised by how fast he was running. On any regular day of exercise, Nick was usually complaining about this kind of activity. It was almost a shock to Judy that she had trouble keeping up with him in that moment.

"Lock the door behind you." Nick looked frantically looked around the room.

After locking the door to Bogo's office, Judy watched Nick as he felt around every nook and cranny of the room. "What are you looking for?"

"You'll see." Nick moved to the desk. He froze when he pulled on the left drawer. There was no lock. Looking closer, he saw that it didn't budge at all. "Oh, what have we here?" Nick grabbed the letter opener off of the desk and poked around the drawer. "It's a dummy drawer." Nick traced around the edges. He paused when he felt a metallic button underneath the center of the desk. Pushing it up caused an audible click. When he looked around the desk, he saw that the side panel had fallen open. "Bingo." Swinging the hinged panel open, he set to work on the combination lock. "30, 40, 16."

Judy moved over to Nick as he opened the safe that was hidden in the side of Bogo's desk. "What's that box?" Judy pulled out a small cardboard box that had been duct taped shut. On top, there was a note addressed to Judy and Nick.

Nick looked at the note. "What does it say?"

Judy read the note. " _Hopps and Wilde, if you are reading this then they have either killed me or my investigation has been compromised. I was acting under instruction from Agent Savage. I guess I did ask for this. I asked him to keep the two of you safe during your investigation into these happenings. His strategy was to throw them off by putting me in charge of this third of the investigation. This box contains a flash drive with all the information you'll need to stop them. I now place my absolute trust in you. Tigre will be put in place as the new chief in my absence, but you must keep this a secret. Everyone who knows will be in danger. I know I can trust you two to do this. I believe you are the best and certainly most effective officers I've had at my disposal. Please, stay safe. But in the end, they must not succeed._ " Judy handed the box to Nick.

Using the kar key to rip the duct tape, Nick opened the box to reveal a metal flash drive that was distinguished by the etching, _One Terabyte_. "Woah. What do you suppose is on this?" Tossing the cardboard box in the safe and closing everything up, Nick stood.

Judy looked anxiously at the flash drive. "We need to keep it somewhere safe."

Just then a wolverine police officer burst through the glass in the door to Bogo's office. In one glance, both Nick and Judy knew that they didn't recognize him. "Judy! Run!" In one quick motion, Nick leaped into the air and latched himself onto the imposter.

Judy took off immediately and called for help.

Nick managed to position himself where he could lock his legs around the wolverine's neck. He knew he wouldn't be much good in a fight against a wolverine, but any distraction until help arrived was good enough. The wolverine automatically attempted to throw Nick from his head. When he failed, he began to claw at Nick. The pain from each slash caused Nick to lock his legs even tighter around his neck. Seeing that Judy left the door open, Nick used this to his advantage. Swinging his weight brought the wolverine to compensate for his loss of balance. This allowed Nick to steer him through the door and more out into the open.

Once two officers appeared, the wolverine ripped Nick from his neck and threw him. Nick hit the wall with a bone crunching smack.

Both officers, a lion and a polar bear, did their best to restrain the wolverine, but to no avail.

Nick fought the intense pain in his body and reached into his jacket to pull out a taser. Seeing a clear shot, he took it. The two prods hit their mark and released fifty thousand volts of electricity into the wolverine. Nick was surprised to see him slowly overpowering the intense electrical shock that made his muscles contract. Still unable to move from where he sat, Nick pulled out his tranquilizer gun and shot at the wolverine. It did practically nothing, so he reloaded and shot again. "Third time's the charm." Nick fired his last dart. Still, nothing.

The wolverine ripped the taser prods out along with the three useless darts. When the two officers tried again to apprehend him, he roundhouse kicked one in the jaw and knocked the other out with one punch. The wolverine eyed Nick. His eyes were ablaze with rage and anger.

Nick thought he was a goner at that point. Closing his eye's, he expected the worse. But, the worse never came. The quietness brought Nick to open his eyes. The wolverine slowly dropped forward and landed on the floor. Nick could see a large dart in his back. Standing behind the wolverine was Judy with a tranquilizer rifle. Setting the rifle down, Judy rushed to Nick's side.

"Nick! Are you okay?" Judy looked over the scratch marks that Nick had. The only two serious claw marks were on his left side and his right leg. Judy took off her jacket and wrapped it around Nick's leg.

Nick was still in awe at the large dart in the wolverine's back. "What is that?"

Judy waved it off. "It's for elephants." Judy continued to tie off her jacket around his leg.

Nick smiled. "Can we get some of those? They Might come in handy."

Judy slapped Nick. "What's wrong with you? You could have died!"

"Yeah, but I didn't." He rubbed his face from the slight stinging pain. It actually made the scratches hurt less. "What's up with _you_? You've been acting strange lately." Nick regretted saying that after he saw Judy's ears drop. "Look, I'm sorry."

"No, Nick, you're right. I've just been worried about you." Judy shook her head.

"So," Nick looked at her questioningly, "you slapped me."

Judy groaned. "Because you weren't being serious." She watched as a number of officers came to further restrain the wolverine imposter. "For a moment I thought I could have lost my best friend. And, I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Come on, carrots. I'm not your only friend. There are plenty more officers here who be an excellent substitute." Nick smiled. "They might not be as good looking or witty, but no one's perfect."

Judy couldn't believe that she found herself laughing at that. "Yeah, but you're my _best_ friend."

The paramedics arrived some time after the wolverine was locked up in one of the station's jail cells. Nick, fortunately didn't need stitches. It seemed that his suit jacket and shirt gave enough cushion to minimize damage from the wolverine's claws. However, his right leg was a little worse. Nick knew that he had to take it easy from then on. After his leg and side were all wrapped up, he went into the locker room to pull on a pair of grey sweats and his old academy sweatshirt which had the sleeves cut off. He walked with a limp back to Judy who waited for him outside the locker room.

"Here," Judy handed Nick a cane, "found this in the lost and found. It's been there for a long time, and no one has claimed it."

Nick took the cane, gratefully. They were headed for the parking lot when Q caught up with them. "Guys you won't believe this!"

Nick winced as he turned around. "What is it?"

"We found these pills on the wolverine. They're virtually identical to similar pills that Officer Delgato found after they disbanded an underground fight club." Q handed Judy a small folder. "They contain traces of a toxin that's usually found in Midnicampum Holicithias. I'm sure you're familiar with this plant."

"Night howlers." Judy grabbed the folder, nervously. "Thank you Q. Give us any updates you find after you've fully analyzed these pills."

Judy helped Nick into the car and drove him to his apartment upon his request. Though Nick had the cane, he still relied on Judy's help to get up the stairs to his apartment. It came as a relief when Nick finally plopped onto his futon. "Hey, Judy. Bring me my laptop and the flash drive."

Judy looked at Nick, confused. "I thought you had-." She stopped when she realized something was in her pocket. Reaching in, she felt the metal flash drive. "How?"

Nick let out a sigh. "I slipped it into your pocket. I knew that if I couldn't keep it safe, you could. It was just in case I didn't make it."

The room filled with a hollow silence that made both of them uncomfortable. Judy retrieved the laptop as Nick asked. She watched as he disabled his wifi and plugged in the flash drive. There was a password lock with a question that made Nick grumble. "Each one us falls and rises with time of generations. This is inevitable. What am I?"

"Gravity?" Judy suggested.

Nick stared at the screen in thought. "No. Gravity doesn't rise. Uh, balloons? No. What does it mean by generations?"

Judy blinked. "Empire! It's empire, just trust me."

Nick typed in the password and hit enter. "We're in. But, how did you know the password?"

"It was an old quote that I heard from Harrison. 'Colors fade, temples crumble, and all empires fall.' It was something like that." Judy sat herself next to Nick to see the screen better.

There were tons of files and documents that filled the flash drive. Nick scrolled all the way to the bottom where he found a video. "Investigation Log." Nick double clicked on the video.

The video was of Bogo sitting at his desk. " _Is this thing? Oh yeah, I guess it's recording."_ He cleared his throat. " _Nick, Judy. I'm sorry this couldn't be under better circumstances, but with all things considered, I'm sure you understand. Agent Savage has given me this private assignment long before you'll ever be involved. But, he did notice your resourcefulness, so it's only a matter of time. I know there's a lot you'll want to know, and I know there's a lot of information to go through, so I'll get right to it. The main focus of this investigation revolved around a secretive gang known as Novus Purificatio. As I looked into their activities, I learned that they were a group of radical predators. They're early activity was merely harassing prey animals in the beginning, but their growth has changed their habits. They've begun to outright attack prey who crossed into their territory as it were. Looking closer at their name, it dawned on me. This wasn't some ghetto gang that was organized by simpletons. The rough translation of Novus Purificatio means 'The New Purification.' What appeared to be a simple gang has turned out to be the rebirth of the Puritans. I have an inside spy who has given me information. She has confirmed that these predators mean business. They use a concentrated form of the Night Howler serum, that was originally developed by Dawn Bellwether, as an enhancement to their strength and endurance. This is very dangerous._

" _The pills are labeled as NH-047 and their ingredients were acquired by illegal means on the black market. Savage has confirmed that a source was traced to a Mr. Cooning and a number of other predators who are supporters of Novus Purificatio. Another mysterious benefactor has made his presence known. They call him the Raven."_ Bogo reached for a glass of water and swallowed all its contents in one gulp. " _The Raven is a very persistent and capable mammal who has access to unspeakable tools of destruction. His weapon of choice is one I've encountered before with a very politically charged case. The_ _ **reaper**_ _is a gun that shoots a toxin that's been frozen in a blood bullet. This toxin triggers the conditions for a heart attack and makes the victim's death appear natural. And, the blood bullet leaves almost no trace except for a small red dot that is very hard to find on mammals with fur. In short, the Raven is very dangerous. He acts on behalf of Novus Purificatio and on his own agenda."_ Nick and Judy could see the pain growing on his face. " _If you really are reading this, I'm either dead or I've narrowly survived an attack. If it's the latter, I'll probably be going into hiding to ride this out. Hopps, Wilde. As your Chief, and as your friend, I beg of you. Please stop these animals. This is no longer a simple matter of law enforcement. If you are reading this, then it means a war is coming. The FBI is already tied up as it is with their own problems overseas and at home. Savage is already in enough trouble for releasing this much information to us. It's now up to you. You need to stop this war. If the Puritans rise again, there's no telling what horrors they could achieve in this age. I can only hope a secret weapon falls into your hands. I can't lie to you. This will get ugly. Animals will get hurt, or even die. I would never ask either of you to take a life, but if it comes to that, then so be it. There never is a good day in war. And, there doesn't have to be one. The war could be won if you win the battle here and now. In the name of peace and sanity, please, stop them."_ The video ended.


	19. Chapter 19

Whiplash

Chapter 19 "Try Everything"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily smiled as Daniel showed her all his drawings and his coloring books. Looking at each drawing, she'd ask what they were and say how good they looked. Something, an emotion rather, welled up inside her. Lily thought about her parents and how they used to do the same thing when she was little. The look in Daniel's eyes that shone with each compliment was like a firecracker of joy and happiness inside. This developing emotion inside her was odd. It was something she had never experienced before. Lily had a few babysitting jobs when she was in highschool, but that was just to get some extra cash. She never thought about having a child when she was younger. It was some time after she finished her four years at college that she found herself thinking about it. As Daniel showed her his drawings, she felt that same endearing idea coming back. There was also a sense of worry.

Lily wasn't sure if Daniel would even like her. She wondered if, after having been raised by Adam all his life, he would resent her. However, she remembered how Daniel had asked Adam if she herself was his mother. Adam hadn't said anything yet, which made Lily a little more upset. Her worry was softened when Adam walked into the room with big plate stacked to the brim with pancakes. His smile was very encouraging.

Lily eyed the stacks of pancakes with a half frown. "Are we expecting others for breakfast this morning?" Lily had made a habit of staying at Adam's house. She brought a suitcase of clothes, but she always checked on her cousin's apartment. Breakfast was a delight that the three of them all shared, but their breakfast was usually smaller.

"You'll see." Adam laid out four plates out and headed to the kitchen to gather the cups. "Daniel, clean up the table for breakfast."

"I'll help." Lily helped Daniel pick up his drawings and move them to a side table where they could be dealt with later. Hearing a rather rhythmic knock at the door, she moved around Daniel to answer it. "I've got it!" Lily saw Adam walk through the kitchen door with a nervous look. "Don't worry. It's morning. There's nothing to worry about."

A smile melted onto Adam's face. "Actually I think I know who it is." With that, he set the cups around the table along with some fresh orange juice, a carton of milk and a glass pitcher of ice water. Winking at Lily, he went back into the kitchen.

Lily rolled her eyes at his antics and continued on towards the door. She heard the knocking become more urgent. "Coming!" When Lily answered the door, her eyes went wide.

"Guess who's outta the hospital!" Benjamin Clawhauser rushed forward and embraced his cousin. "Look at us!" He gestured to his broken foot in a cast and his crutches. "We're crutch buddies!"

"Ben! I'm so happy to see you. Come inside." Lily quickly stepped aside to let her cousin in. "How have you been?"

"I feel amazing! It might just be the painkillers talking, but who cares! As soon as your boyfriend gave me the call, I rushed right over." Benjamin looked past Lily and saw Daniel. "And who, may I ask, is this strapping young lad?"

Daniel laughed. "I'm Daniel."

"So this is the little Daniel you've told me so much about." Benjamin was a little surprised when Daniel reached out to shake his paw. "A handshake? Ah, come here little buddy! Hugs all around!"

Daniel laughed as Benjamin picked him up and swung him around in a hug. Lily's face tensed up when her cousin dropped his crutches and walked on his cast. "Ben! Are you alright?"

"Relax cuz," Benjamin set Daniel down, "bones heal, memories don't."

Daniel was still laughing as he helped Benjamin pick up his crutches. "You're funny, sir."

"Sir? Oh, no. Call me Uncle Clawhauser." Benjamin took a seat at the table across from Daniel. "So, Adam tells me there's quite the surprise in store for us."

Adam came out of the kitchen with the butter, syrup, and a jar of peanut butter. "Can I tempt you with some peanut butter on your pancakes?"

"Oh please!"

Both Benjamin and Adam scooped some peanut butter on their pancakes and began eating. Lily stared at the oddity of Adam and her cousin struggling to eat their peanut butter and syrup covered pancakes. Regardless of their conundrum, the two wordlessly devoured their food. "Do you two ever stop eating?"

Both looked up and simultaneously answered, "What?"

"Eating," Lily repeated, "do you two ever stop eating?"

Benjamin swallowed the mess of peanut butter and pancake in his mouth. "I've been in a hospital on nothing but jello and water. I don't know what his excuse is."

Lily fought the somewhat sad expression that crept onto her face as she looked at Adam. "Long night?" Adam nodded and forked up another mouthful. "Okay." Lily kept tabs on what Adam did. She just wanted to make sure he was okay. Though, he wasn't suiting up and going onto the streets as frequently as he used to. He said he was investigating something. Several times she had found him doing research in his office. She would bring him a glass of orange juice to help him stay awake before going back to sleep herself. But, this was fine. She accepted his actions as the crime fighting vigilante, but knowing that he was at home, rather than on the streets, was a comforting thought to her.

Benjamin helped Adam clean up the dishes and put away the leftovers while Daniel went to go get dressed. Lily found the newest news paper sitting on the coffee table. There wasn't much news to speak of. She looked at the weather and glanced at a couple of the comics in the back. What caught her attention was the article about the escapees from that prison break. Most if not all of them had been caught. Lily knew that Adam had probably was responsible for the apprehension of those escaped prisoners. She didn't know how he did it. He was a working single father who simultaneously seemed like he was saving the world by putting criminals in their place. That made her sigh. She knew that Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde were using her to get Adam to confess that one night. What he was doing was illegal. She understood why, though.

Lily made her way to the kitchen where Adam and Benjamin had finished putting the dishes into the dishwasher and the last pancakes into the fridge. Benjamin had his nose in the cupboard, not that Adam minded her cousin looking through the food. Lily knew her cousin liked to assess animals by how stocked their pantry was.

"Everything all cleaned-." Lily stopped when she noticed some peanut butter on the tip of Adam's nose. "Oh, you got something there."

Adam raised his brows as he felt all over his face. "Where?"

"Here, I got it." Lily gently pulled Adam's face forward and licked the peanut butter off of his nose. "There."

Adam stared at her, a little embarrassed. "Um, thanks." Lily smiled and kissed his cheek. He was still a dork. But, she didn't have to keep saying that to him. He knew she love that about him.

Once they were all out the door, Lily was surprised to see a tiger patterned limousine with a chauffeur opening the door for them. Benjamin was all too excited to see the limousine. Aside from public transport, such luxuries were far and few, and mostly few. Daniel didn't seem phased at all by the fact of this mode of transport. Adam seemed to be rolling his eyes.

"Elle really likes to show off these days." Adam handed the tiger chauffeur a fifty dollar bill. "Just in case she doesn't pay you that much."

The chauffeur burst into laughter. "You must be kidding Adam! With how _she_ pays me? I'll have enough retirement money for me, my wife, and all six of my kids by the time I'm dead." The laughing tiger took his seat behind the wheel. "Crazy wolf."

Daniel sat next to Benjamin while Adam sat next to Lily, holding her paw in his. Eventually Benjamin discovered the secret wonders of the limousine in a tiny remote that controlled the temperature of his seat. Daniel couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face when he found the mini fridge full of Cub Soda.

"It sure was nice of Auntie Elle to send us a ride." Daniel looked at Lily. "You'll love her Lily! She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. And, she's a pretty good singer too."

Lily looked over to Adam. "Auntie Elle?"

"You'll see." Adam smiled wide as he held her paw a little tighter.

Eventually the limousine pulled through the gates to an expansive one story house that was large but not overly so. The white walls were adorned by vines with pink flowers with a lower section of flowers that were made up of rose bushes and purple pansies that grew all around. The double doors were a rich stained wood that almost looked like the doors to a castle. The salmon sandstone steps that lead up to the door were laced with various meek potted plants. Adam knocked on the door. A few moments later, a pair of heels could be heard coming to answer. When the door opened, Benjamin's jaw practically dropped to the floor.

Her voice was gently accented. "Adam! It's been far too long, mithrandir!"

"Gazelle?!" Benjamin made the connection that this Auntie Elle was in fact the all too famous Gazelle, the famous pop star music artist. "Wait, did Gazelle just speak elvish?"

"But of course." Gazelle wore a warm smile. "Adam and I always loved the Lord of the Lions books when we were kids."

Benjamin stared long and good at Adam. "You grew up with Gazelle?!"

Lily rolled her eyes at her cousin. "Ben, put your tongue back in your mouth, you're embarrassing me."

Gazelle laughed at what was going on. Adam just shrugged to her. "Well, all friends of Adam are welcome in my home. Come, follow me."

They all followed Gazelle to her living room. There was a decently sized mirror that hung over a fireplace. Across from the fireplace there was a white couch that made a full half circle with a round mirror coffee table in the middle. Off to the side of the couch was a cherry red baby grand piano with music sheets scattered around it. Some of the sheet music was new and half worked on. Gazelle told them to wait there for a moment while she went to fetch something.

Benjamin was taking as many selfies in the house as his phone's storage could permit. "I can't believe I'm standing in Gazelle's house right now."

Adam sat down on the couch with Lily. "Why stand when you can sit."

Benjamin was holding back his enthusiasm as he gently sat on the couch. A small squealing sound escaped his mouth slowly as his breath fluctuated. "I think I've died and gone to heaven."

Gazelle returned with as small wrapped box. "Daniel, I've got a present for you."

Daniel graciously took the box and pulled away the wrappings to reveal what it was. "A Sight Master 2000?"

"Yes, I picked it up on my last tour. Your father used to have one of these." Gazelle helped Daniel open the box. "You see, you put the discs in here and you look through the sights."

Daniel looked carefully at the red toy. Inserting one of the cardboard discs into it, he clicked the lever on the side and looked through. "Woah!"

Adam looked at his son's new toy in disbelief. "Elle, that's like the same one I used to have. Where did you find it?"

Gazelle laughed. "It would seem that your thrift shopping skills have rubbed off on me. I can't tell you how many costumes I've found this way. My manager always asks where I find all these fancy costumes. I don't dare tell him that they're really second hand clothes that have been tailored to fit me. Enough of that, though. Adam would you like to tell me how you met Lily? You were rather vague over the phone."

"Oh," Adam looked to Lily, "we sort of met at a garage."

Lily looked at Gazelle who seemed disappointed by Adam's response. "He never was good at telling stories, was he?"

"I've never known Adam to be much of a conversationalist, but he has his moments. He's better at reading stories or acting them out if he knows them." Gazelle shrugged her shoulders. It was a strange gesture to see from her. "Why don't you tell me how you two met?"

Lily proceeded to go over the events of how they first met. Gazelle seemed particularly amused by how Adam kept tampering with his moving truck just for the opportunity to speak with Lily. This version of the story was watered down when considering the fact that Lily left out the parts about Adam's attacker, her involvement with the police, and the truth about Adam being the whip cracking vigilante known as Whiplash. Adam gave his two cents where he thought appropriate. He would often jump in to assure his emotions at certain stages of their relationship. This came as a comfort to Lily and a surprise to Gazelle. It was no secret between to the two of them that Adam was to say, awkward when it came to feelings. The same could not be said about his relationship with his son, though.

Gazelle smiled when Lily finished telling her everything she was willing to say. "I am so happy, for the both of you. And Lily, I hope you and your friend have the chance to make up." She looked at Adam who was now sitting on the floor next to his son. The two of them were taking turns looking into the Sight Master. "Adam? Why don't you show Mister Clawhauser here around the house?"

Adam looked at Benjamin. "What do you want to see first? The gold records, or the pool?"

Both Lily and Gazelle laughed as the overly excited cheetah followed Adam down the hall. "Your cousin is quite the fan, isn't he?"

"You have no idea. He may as well be the President of your fanclub." Lily laughed at that as she imagined her cousin in his pink Gazelle shirt overseeing club matters.

Gazelle released a thoughtful hum. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Besides, the current president is extremely pompous and rude. What do you think?"

Lily smiled as she stifled a hysterical laugh. "If you made him the club president, that would be wonderful. He actually has detailed notes and plans for if he was to become president."

Gazelle looked briefly to see if Adam was out of earshot. "Come with me, I'd like to discuss something with you in private."

Lily followed Gazelle to the kitchen where she pulled out a tea kettle and a box of tea bags. Lily watched as she kicked off her heels to the side and filled the kettle up with water. "So what did you want to talk about."

Gazelle sighed after she set the kettle on the stove and turned the burner on. "I have a question. And, you must answer as honestly as possible." Lily nodded in agreement. "Where do you see yourself with Adam in ten years?"

Lily thought on that strange question. "I can see us still loving each other. And maybe, if he proposes some day, we'll be married." She was caught off guard by the unexpected hug from Gazelle.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me." Releasing Lily from her embrace, she wiped away the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. "I have known Adam for a very long time. For as long as I can remember. We've been friends since we were very little. And, he was there for me in high school when no one else was. My father didn't really support me with my singing. My mother did, but my father usually had the final word. Adam was always encouraging."

Lily smile. "He seems to have that effect on a lot of animals."

"My song, _Try Everything_ , that came from him." Gazelle smiled. "When I was worried about failing, Adam was the one to tell me never to give up. I wish you could have seen him then. He was so, full of life."

"Really? He already seems happy enough." Lily thought about Adam. Sometimes he's smile or act a certain way, and then, he's turn around to hide a melancholy expression. "What was he like?"

"He was brilliant. Adam was an actor. The best!" Gazelle folded her arms as she recalled his stage performances. "The others in the drama class envied him. Especially when he played Hamlet. It was amazing to see the tragic pig prince being played better by a wolf than the actual pig who auditioned for the role. I was in choir, but I always watched his shows. We even got to work together when a musical was put on."

"Adam mentioned being in drama class, but he always told me he wasn't that good." This came as no surprise to Lily. She knew Adam was one to undersell his talents."

"I see his modesty hasn't changed at all. But, as I recall, he always would say that he could have done better." Gazelle giggled at that, but she stopped when she saw the growing look of concern on Lily's face. "Is something wrong?"

Lily felt a little anxious. At the same time though, she felt a little guilty for assuming the worse of Gazelle. "What exactly is your relationship with Adam? I mean, were you two ever?"

"Oh, no." Gazelle laughed a bit nervously. "We've never been, a thing. He never saw me that way."

"But you did?" Lily asked.

Gazelle took a shaky breath. "Lily. We've always been just friends. And, I know that you can tell that I do care about him. I can see you are nervous because you think that I might get in between you and Adam because I still might still harbor feelings for him."

"I'm sorry. It's been a trip to even tell him how I feel, and I still get anxious about it." Lily was surprised to see the gentle smile on Gazelle's face.

"I know what that's like. But, I am really just his friend. I do love him, but it's more of a caring love. I guess you could say I'm like a protective sister. I mean with what happened." Gazelle covered her mouth. "Wait has he told you?"

Lily nodded. "About his family? Yes, he has."

"Not just them." Gazelle shook her head. "He didn't tell you about Penny?"

Lily furrowed her brow at the name. He hadn't mentioned her. "No."

"She's the reason I asked about where you saw yourself in the future with him. She's the reason I'm protective of him. Penny, Adam, and I were friends in school. I mean they were friends since birth, and they found me and asked me to be their friend. She was very close to Adam. You could tell they loved each other. But, Penny was very sick. Adam made her feel better. I'm embarrassed to admit that I was jealous." Gazelle wiped at her eyes. "The first time I saw Adam after his family had been killed, he just kept crying, 'She's dead. Penny is dead'" Lily moved forward and hugged her. This confused Lily. She couldn't understand why Adam hadn't mentioned Penny to her at all. "He probably didn't want to tell you because he didn't want old memories creeping back up on him."

Lily pulled out of the hug. "Old memories? So he just wants to forget her?"

"No. Daniel is his reminder of her." Gazelle recollected herself. "I remember. When they were together he promised her, that if they could ever be married, that he would adopt a child to raise. Penny was a deer. That's why Daniel is a deer. Adam kept his promise to her." She was interrupted by the screech of the tea kettle. Turning the stove off, she put a couple of the tea bags in it.

Lily nodded to herself. "He's complicated."

Gazelle laughed a bit because of Lily's statement. "Finally. I'm not alone anymore." Both of them laughed together as this grand truth, that had in reality plagued them both, had finally been exposed. "Though, you mustn't let this deter you. I don't know if _you_ can see it, but he really loves you."

"I'm sorry he never gave you the chance."

"Don't be. Someone has to be his friend. And, someone has to be his companion. We all have a purpose, Lily." Gazelle held Lily's shoulder. "Some things are meant to be, while others aren't. But, that's okay."

Lily felt her anxiety creeping up again. "Does he really love me? Or am I just a shadow of what he once had?"

Gazelle shook her head. "You must not think that way. You aren't like her. That's a good thing. There's two things you have that Penny didn't. You're assertive, and you have more time. Adam needs both of those things from you."

Lily smiled. "Thanks Gazelle."

"Please. Call me Elle."

After sharing tea together, they eventually regrouped with Adam, Daniel, and Benjamin. Lily's cousin was lost in some strange combination of awe and excitement. Adam was carrying Daniel on his shoulders. Adam told Gazell how he had ordered pizza, and he insisted on paying for it himself. The pizza arrived no more than fifteen minutes later. The scene was strange to Lily. She never thought she'd be in the house of someone as famous as Gazelle and be eating pizza. But, it reminded her of something that her father had told her long ago. He told her how all animals were the same. Though they came in differents shapes and sizes, deep down, they were all the same. They were individuals. They were mammals with dreams, goals, and ambitions.

Lily watched as Gazelle sweetly laugh at her cousin who was struggling with the stringy cheese of his pizza. Adam and Daniel both did a cheers with their pizza slices folded before they ate together in unison. It all seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but Lily saw past the complexities of how entangled life was. Sitting next to Daniel, she pulled him up onto her lap and wrapped her arms around him. Adam scooted closer to her to give her a kiss on the cheek. Lily saw past the mask that Adam was wearing. He had a twitch of sadness when he looked at his son, but he smiled anyway. Lily could see what Adam really was. He was alive. He remembered, and he moved on. Love was a very abstract construct. Lily was amazed how quickly her perceptions of it had been altered over the course of knowing Adam. Love was an eternal prospect. This wolf, who sat next to her, he was full of love. His endeavor as a vigilante made sense in some form. He didn't want what happened to him to happen to others. He genuinely cared for and loved everyone. And most importantly, he loved Lily.

A scene popped into Lily's head. She could see herself with Adam, married. She imagined adopting another child with him. Maybe they could have a daughter. The music of the idea lulled Lily into a state between daydreaming and feeling, to put it simply, happy. Resting her head on Adam's shoulder, she caught sight of the hopeful smile that Gazelle sent their way. The moment wasn't surreal because if its simplicity; it was the fact that it was real. Lily thought about how she had seen love stories on television. Real life was much more complicated, but that made it all the more beautiful to her. Life was beautifully messy.

Lily found herself humming a familiar tune, "I won't give up, I won't give in…"


	20. Chapter 20

Whiplash

Chapter 20 "War"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Mr. Big smiled as he looked over the crowd that had gathered in the convention center. They were all the benefactors to his charity event. Over a hundred tables were decorated and circled about by animals waiting to eat and hear the upcoming speeches about the charity. He saw his daughter and his son in law sitting in the audience. They left their daughter Judy at the mansion as they felt she was still too young to be brought to events like this. It was probably for the best too.

Mr. Big sighed as he gestured to his body guard to move him. He had been feeling much better as of late, but his legs were still a little week. Grabbing onto the armrests of his chair, he braced himself as a polar bear lifted him up to the pulpit. After looking over the crowd again, another sigh brought a comfortable smile to his lips. "Ladies and gentleman. I am proud to oversee this matter of business. Here you all are. And for me, to see this many supporters in this endeavor, in comforts me greatly. To see this dream of mine come true, it's almost unbelievable. I think I might have to pinch myself to see if I'm really awake." A light laugh swept through the audience. "Yes, yes. And, to think this all began when I was but a child, a boy. Like these orphans, I was once alone and afraid. This being, because I was once one of them. If it weren't for my grandmama, I wouldn't be standing here before you. I have grown since then. I have built my own family. But, it was not easy. It was hard. And, I would never wish that on any orphan. Nowadays, they call them foster children. However that's only when they're in the foster program.

"Here tonight, with your donations, we can brighten their lives. And with your signatures to the petition we have worked so hard to create, the boundaries of predator and prey will no longer bar these children from the families they so rightfully deserve. This petition will help to procure further amendments to the ideology of the mammal inclusion initiative. I probably would never have gained the sight for this vision without the help of the Godmother to my grandchild. She proved to me that anyone _can_ be anything. And right now, I hope that we can show these orphans that they can be something. In this case, we're showing them that they _can_ be a part of a family. And further-" Mr. Big's speech was interrupted by a steady clap from the back.

The clap gained the attention of several animals until everyone in the audience turned their heads. Sitting at the corner table was a mysterious figure in a black tuxedo. The figure's face was masked by the face of a black bird. Someone from the audience cried out, "It's the Raven!" Several gasps and nervous whispers swept across the room. "Security!" All at once, all the security guards, including Mr. Big's bodyguard, collapsed without warning.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Big looked over the crowd to glare at the Raven whose table was shadowed by the burnt out lamp above.

The raven chuckled with an almost demonic raspy voice. "Oh, Mr. Big. How you have fallen. To think that you would allow prey to raise predators, disgusting. It's pathetic. Predators should only be raised by predators. Now I see it is too late for you and your family, but I am willing to spare the rest of my brothers and sisters." Standing up, the Raven began to pace. "If you are a predator, and you value your life, stand up now." There were many who did stand up. However, there were those few predators who remained seated. The Raven approached one. She was a lioness in a red dress. "Why do you not claim your privilege of mercy?"

The lioness furrowed her brow. " _Predator_ is an archaic word. It is relevant to uncivilized and mindless beasts such as yourself, Raven. I know of your kind. I am no beast like you!"

The Raven looked as some of the other predators who stood up return to their seats. "Pity. Have it your way. _Comitis!_ " Out of nowhere a procession of soldiers, all predators, marched into the room in an orderly fashion. "Halt! _Peterent_." Several soldiers raised tranquilizer rifles and aimed for the standing predators. " _Inmitto!_ " The rifles were fired and the standing predators fell to their knees. "Vacate them from the premises." A number of the soldiers picked up the sedated predators and carried them out of the room.

Mr. Big stood up on the pulpit. "Raven! Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

The Raven laughed at his display. "Vengeance! My old acquaintance, vengeance. For your laziness! While my would be family died, you did nothing."

"You talk about vengeance. Is vengeance going to bring your family back to you, or my friends to me?"A thought stuck Mr. Big like a knife to the back. He knew who the raven was. "Wait, it can't be. I thought you were dead!" Mr. Big leaned on his chair for support.

"Not dead, reborn." The Raven walked up to Mr. Big and grabbed him. " _Induite larvis!_ " All at once, the assorted soldiers pulled on gas masks and readied canisters in their grasp.

Mr. Big looked to his daughter in fear. She and her husband were being held by a soldier who brought them up to the Raven. "What? Please, not them!"

The Raven silently pulled out a syringe full of something blue. "Recognise this Mr. Big? It's a gift from a little lamb we broke out of Jail. It's a shame Dawn wasn't a predator. But, her science was useful to us. We promptly disposed of her when we got what we wanted. I forget what sewer we dumped her in." The Raven stuck the syringe into Mr. Big's arm. "Bring me the cage." A soldier stepped forth with a cage that was reinforced by shock resistant glass.

Mr. Big watched as his daughter and her husband were thrown into the cage. He felt a strange sensation come over him as the serum he had been injected with spread through his body. "No, please no!"

The Raven laughed. "I thought begging was beneath you. They'll be spared the horror of your fate. However, it'll be you that kills them. But don't worry, after the serum has taken its course and done its job, it'll kill you too." The Raven threw Mr. Big into the cage and put a padlock on the door. The key hole had been welded shut. "It's like you used to say, Mr. Big. _Revenge is a dish best served cold_." Setting the cage on on the pulpit the Raven appeared indifferent from the screams that erupted from within it. " _Exire!_ " The soldiers pulled the pins from the canisters they carried, threw them into the center of the room, and bolted through the doors. The Raven walked calmly to the back door as blue gas filled the room. Animals roared in pain as their backs arched and their eyes turned feral. "You fools. You'll destroy yourselves." After walking through the last door that hadn't been locked, the Raven turned and shouted, " _Sic Semper Tyrannis!_ " The last door was locked. Every animal, prey and predator alike, bared at each other's throats.


	21. Chapter 21

Whiplash

Chapter 21 "I Believe"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy gave up. Putting her phone on airplane mode, she chucked it under feet, out of reach. Burying her face in her hands, she leaned back as far as she could in the passenger seat. Nick kept quiet as he continued to drive. When he had tried to ask her about it earlier, she snapped at him. This was a stressful situation. Judy heard the news of Mr. Big's untimely death and his daughter. With his son in law also gone, there was only one person who had lawful custody of his granddaughter. As Judy was the godmother to Mr. Big's grandchild, she was now her legal guardian. Judy was truly afraid for the first time in a long time. She knew nothing about being a parent, let alone taking care of an infant who was a completely different species. Judy was grateful that she was getting help from her mother was coming down, along with her brother Jacob, and some members of the Big family. There were also other matters at hand.

They had solid security footage of Novus Purificatio openly attacking animals in the name of their cause. Nick and Judy had both reached out to the best detectives around to find and catch any and all members of Novus Purificatio. So far, there have been small successes. Several members have been caught along with some benefactors whose bank accounts were shut down. But still, there were more secret members that had yet to be discovered. Fortunately, not every predator sympathised with their cause. And, the predator to prey ratio also helped. This was frustrating for both Judy and Nick as they hoped to do away with prejudice, but profiling was their only hope at catching all the members of Novus Purificatio. However, there was a rising problem that some detectives had addressed when they exchanged evidence and information. Prey animals were now working for Novus Purificatio.

Apparently, a few Novus Purificatio accountants turned out to be prey who were promised immunity and protection from the horrors that awaited other prey animals. This threw their demographic for who was working for Novus Purificatio out of whack. It was no longer just predators; there were now prey animals involved.

Nick released a sigh that spawned from the heavy dose of anxiety that permeated the air. He cringed a bit in pain. His side still stung a bit from his previous injuries. There was a bump against his leg. This time he sighed for the reason of his own personal frustration. The bump was caused by his cane. He was still getting over the pain in his leg. The cane was meant to help him ease the pain he felt as he walked, but it was a sad reminder that he was mortal. It's flame job patter was pretty cool, though. Nick looked over to Judy for a quick moment when he hit a red light. He noticed how her ears were droopy. "Everything will be alright Carrots."

Judy stared at Nick's cane. Was it going to be alright? Judy almost felt like this was the beginning of the end. And yet, the earnest smile that was plastered onto Nick's face gave her some comfort.

"See, we're here already, and nothing has gone wrong yet." Nick parked the car and pulled his cane from its resting place. "You know, I could learn to like this cane. It kinda makes me feel like Mouse M.D."

Judy rolled her eyes at Nick. "You'd need to be grumpy, and more irritating."

"Irritating? Irritating!" Nick pressed his hand to his chest to fully complete the theatrics of his sarcastic disbelief.

Judy shook her head as she laughed. "Don't worry, it's a good _irritating_."

"Alright, alright. But now let's get back to business. I don't want this flash drive getting in the wrong hands." Nick continued, with Judy, up the steps to the bank. Nick had an account that he had specially made a long time ago when he was still on the shifty side of the law. Because it was an old account, and it couldn't be traced back to him, it seemed like the safest place to put the flash drive when it wasn't in use. They couldn't make frequent visits to pick it up, so they had done their best to review as much information as they could and take as many notes as they needed, so they wouldn't have to keep coming back to it.

Judy and Nick waited in the line that was seemingly the shortest, and yet, there was an old horse holding up the line with extensive amounts of pennies, dimes, and quarters. Judy's eyes wandered up to the screen that was displaying news. She half chuckled to herself when she saw what it was about. "Looks like our friend is on the move again."

Nick looked at the screen. The sound was off, but the subtitles were clear enough to see. " _Coming out of the shadows, the vigilante simply known as Whiplash has been increasingly sighted during the day as opposed to his usual night time activities._ Wow. Do you think he knows something we don't?"

Judy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's not like we could ask him. Wait."

"No," Nick wave his paws in Judy's face, "no, no. This guy is obviously not an idiot. Have you seen any superhero movies?"

"Right, every _police meeting_ is a trap. He's not dumb enough to fall for that." Judy tapped her foot in thought. "Although, I did notice something else."

Nick moved with the line which had finally started to let up. "What was that?"

"A clue from our first case. Ever notice how a lot of mammals that Whiplash captures are predators?" Judy pulled out her phone and began to search up the stats from the various news stations. "Publicly he has personally caught fifty six with nineteen police assists. Of those seventy five, total, there were only seven prey animals."

"Woah!" Nick whistled at that. "Coincidence? I think not. Definitely not. So, whatcha thinking? He knows something about Novus Purificatio?"

"Maybe," Judy nodded, "or he's actually been catching members of Novus Purification by coincidence. We'll have to check the backgrounds of those animals before we jump to any conclusions."

Nick smirked. "You know, there was that whole stint between the Raven and Whiplash. Maybe there really is more to this. And for the record, can we just refer to these Novus Purificatio guys as just NP? Their full name kinda just drags out, don't you think?"

Judy laughed. "Sure thing, Nick. Oh. It looks like we're here."

Nick stepped up to the desk which had a sheet of safety glass that divided him from the young raccoon who was helping them. "Hey there Miss," Nick looked at her name tag to make sure she was who he thought she was, "Susan? I was wondering if I could speak to your manager, Nathaniel?"

The raccoon smiled, wryly, and gave Nick a wink. "Why of course, anything for _you_ , Mister Wilde." Susan disappeared in the back.

Judy furrowed her brow a bit. "Uh, Nick? What was up with that?"

Nick waved a dismissive paw. "Ah, you know. I know everybody."

"Everybody? And, how exactly do you know her?" Judy crossed her arms in a teasing fashion.

"Woah, nothing like that… I just know everybody. How I know them, is another story that will never be told. Let's just leave it at that." Nick Straightened up as an older goat stepped forward. "Ello tappy, McHappy?"

"Depends," the old goat straightened his glasses, "how many types of beans?"

"Five," Nick smirked, "but are they canned or bottled?"

"Obviously, they're bottled," the goat leaned forward a bit, "but, with what?"

Nick pulled out the flash drive. "A smaller bottle of sauce." Nick slid the flash drive through the small opening. "I trust you'll store it on a good shelf?"

The old goat laughed hysterically. "Up to your old stuff as usual, Tricky Nicky? You know I always properly label and store all my bottles of five bean soups. You two have a nice day now."

Nick nudged Judy and began walking off. "Wait!" Judy exclaimed. "That's it? No paperwork or anything?"

"No paperwork, no trace. Now," Nick altered his course, "detour."

Judy saw Nick heading straight for the restroom. Seeing that she was just going to have to wait, she hunkered down on one of the waiting couches. Casually looking around, she found a stray magazine. On the cover was a full colored artist's interpretation of Whiplash in his _super suit_ as it were. It didn't compare to seeing it up close and first hand. Judy ready the captions on the magazine. " _Super Suits to Super Fashion_ , _The Science of Heroism_ , _Fur Tight_ , and _Retaliation_?" Judy skipped to the last article. It was about the showdown between TNT and Whiplash. Judy read, "Where one villain falls, another will take his place. Who will that be? What new arch nemesis awaits the justice of Whiplash's mighty-." Judy stopped reading. A faint rumble mad her ears stand up at attention. Her nose twitched a bit. There was another rumble, much louder than the first.

A loud crash cause Judy to jump behind the couch and take cover. A loud growl echoed over the sound of splintered glass from the entry way. Judy poked her head out from around the couch. Her eyes grew at the site. A massive sheep, probably the size of a small elephant, had burst into the bank. She watched as it fired at the security guards with familiar looking pistols. Tiny green orbs hit the guards and burst into a gas, which caused them to go cross eyed and collapse. "Throw me in a sewer! I think not!"

The voice sounded familiar to Judy. The glare from outside kept her from getting a good look at the sheep's face. Then, when it turned, a very unmistakeable pair of glasses became apparent. "No," Judy whispered to herself, "it can't be."

A wolf security guard jumped out with a tranquilizer rifle. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm gonna have to put you down." He pulled the trigger and shot the dart right into the sheep's arm. The sheep looked at and flicked it off like it was nothing.

"I am former Mayor Dawn Bellwether!" She growled and shot a purple orb at the the security guard. His face twisted into a goofy smile as he collapsed in a pile of his own drool. "And I'm not gonna let some pred like you stop me!" She slammed the safety glass of the desk with one fist and shattered it. Throwing a few duffle bags to the bankers she yelled out, "Now start stuffing these bags with cash, or else!"

"Or else what?" The old goat asked.

Dawn reloaded her guns with blue orbs. "I'll start turning animals savage. Anymore stupid questions?" The bankers quickly started to fill the duffle bags with cash. "Didn't think so!"

Judy accidently slipped, making a sound as she tried desperately to hide behind the couch again.

"Who is that?!" Dawn yanked the couch away from the wall and sent it hurtling out the front entrance. "Well, well, well… If it isn't Officer Hopps. Though I hear you've been bumped up to detective now. Along with that stupid fox! No matter." Dawn raised one of her pistols. "Bye, bye!"

Before Dawn could shoot Judy, a loud followed a quick red blur that ripped the gun from her grasp. The red blur was a whip that was now being recoiled by Whiplash. "Woah there. I think you should pick on somebody your own size." Dawn tried to pull her other gun on Whiplash, but he was quick to whip that one out of her hand as well. "That's the thing about bullies, they come in all shapes and sizes."

"I'm not a bully!" Dawn growled as she sung a rifle from behind her back and fired a green orb right at Whiplash's face.

The orb burst across his face and released the green gas. Whiplash inhaled the strange gas and hummed to himself. "Not as bad as I thought it was going to be."

"What?" Dawn was confused as to why Whiplash hadn't collapsed yet.

Whiplash knocked on his mask which responded with a hard plastic sound. "Filters, they're not just for the internet."

"So much for civility!" Dawn dropped everything and charged at Whiplash.

Seeing her come at him, Whiplash made quick to dodge her charge by jumping over her. However, Dawn was much taller than he anticipated. Grabbing Whiplash by the leg, Dawn threw him across the room. Managing to roll to a less harmful stop, Whiplash faced his opponent again. Seeing that she was nowhere near as small as TNT, or as dumb, he knew that he would have to outwit her somehow. She came charging at him again. He ready his whip. As Dawn got close, Whiplash cracked his whip as close to her ear as he could. The sound was disorienting enough to allow him safe passage as he slid past her side. Now behind her, he jumped up and climbed as fast as he could. He managed to make it to Dawn's head and snatch the object he was after.

"Not my glasses!" Dawn hurled Whiplash against the wall, but he had already taken her vision. Dawn squinted and tried to focus her vision but to no avail. "Where are you?"

Whiplash carefully stood up and tucked Dawn's glasses onto his belt. He looked at the wall adjacent to him. Carefully placing his whip, he cracked it towards the wall and jetted away in a different direction. Dawn came hurling at the wall and stopped with a mighty crash. "Why are you robbing a bank!"

Dawn was recovering from the hit to the wall. "To take back what is mine!" Whiplash bolted away again as Dawn charged at him. This time she hit the wall hard enough that she was forced to take more time to recover. "To take my revenge."

Whiplash continued to circle the room as a safety precaution. "Revenge?" He asked. "Who has wronged you?"

Dawn struggled to stand. "Predators! Every time, they always get me in the end! Why? Because I was weak! But, not anymore!" Dawn ran forward, aimlessly, only to slip and fall on shattered glass.

Whiplash climbed up the wall and perched himself on a ledge out of reach from Dawn. He then gestured to Judy and motioned to the innocent bystanders. Judy began to assist mammals as they made their way for the exit.

"Wait. Where are they going?!" Dawn managed to grab one of her guns and start shooting in random directions.

"Stop!" Whiplash commanded. "You're quarrel is with me."

Dawn pointed her gun in Whiplash's general direction. But when she pulled the trigger, nothing, the gun was out. Judy continued to guide animals through the exit. "Why? Why can't I ever win? Why do you predators always beat me over, and over again?"

Whiplash sighed as Judy got the rest of the bystanders out. "What's your problem with predators?"

Dawn nearly exploded. "They've tormented me all my life! Since I was a child, they'd always berate me! Insult me!"

"A child?" Whiplash asked. "Sounds like you had a bully. And now, look at what you've become. You've become the very thing you despise."

"I am not a predator!" Dawn screamed.

"I never said you were, but look. Look! You've come here to plunder and steal, and for what cause? Revenge? You've become no better than the bully in your childhood who happened to be a predator." That remark was met in silence. "I have been wronged by prey animals, but I don't hold what they are against them. Some animals, predator and prey, are just evil. What they are is merely a coincidence."

Dawn began to shake. "I never, no it can't, but what-." She let out a horrible screech as steam shot from her body. Wool was falling off of her. "No! Not now!" There was a flash of steam that erupted around her. When the steam cleared, Whiplash saw that she had shrunk to half of her original size. She was shaking as she pulled her now ragged and baggy clothes closer to her body. She was still big but not as before.

Whiplash jumped down from his spot and walked up to Dawn. "You couldn't have one."

Dawn's voice became shaky as she began to cry. "Why?"

Whiplash knelt by her side and placed her glasses back on her face. "Because, you had evil in your heart. And, good will always triumph over evil."

"Am I evil? Have I really come this low?" Dawn's face contorted in a mixture of facial expressions that included sorrow, self hatred, and guilt. "I used to be smart. I believed I was-." There was a faint swoosh and a thud that caused Dawn Bellwether to collapse.

"What?" Whiplash saw a large tranquilizer dart in Dawn's arm. Turning around, he saw Nick with his cane pointed at Dawn.

"I knew I made the right decision when I goth this tranquilizer cane from that spy shop." Nick placed his cane back down to support himself. "You seem to have a lot of hope for the good I animals. Though, you should always be cautious of the liars."

Whiplash looked and saw the loaded gun that Dawn had been reaching for. "You could have let her shoot me. But, you didn't."

"Call it a sign of thanks, for saving me and my partner from TNT." Nick casually headed on his way out the door. Before he left, he called back to Whiplash, "Can't wait to catch you someday!"

Whiplash smiled under his mask.

Nearly an hour had passed. More cops, paramedics, a news team, and a prison transport vehicle had all shown up around the bank. Judy and Nick were desperately trying to vacate the scene without being mobbed by cameras and interviewers. Paramedics were doing their best to make sure the stunned guards were properly treated and see that no one else was seriously hurt. The unconscious body of Dawn Bellwether was strapped down to a stretcher on the prison transport vehicle. Though, she was starting to stir.

When Dawn's eyes opened, she was greeted with the sight of an odd knowing smile, from a strange animal. "Wha-? Who are you?"

"Sweet little lamb, well not so little, now." The strange animal had a sort of funny laugh that made Dawn feel uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" Dawn tried fight her restraints by she couldn't break them. Looking down at her arm she saw a strange device with a green blinking light. "What is this thing?!"

The strange animal pat Dawn on the shoulder. "Dear girl, it's what's saving your life right now. Your body has become so unstable, that your rapid growth and shrinkage nearly drained you completely. You should consider yourself lucky that you weren't killed by that tranquilizer dart."

Dawn could sense that something was up with this guy. "What do you want with me."

"Hehehe, do you believe in second chances Miss Bellwether?" The strange animal's smile seemed even more odd to Dawn.

"Maybe," Dawn watched his expressions carefully, "what's in it for me?"

The strange animal pulled out a slip of paper and waved it in Dawn's face. "A pardon, maybe."

Dawn's brow furrowed at the strange antics of this animal. "Who are you?"

"Allow me to properly introduce myself." The strange animal loosened his necktie. "I'm Agent Savage."


	22. Chapter 22

Whiplash

Chapter 22 "How Long Will I Love You"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

 _Rolling thunder plays games of tag with lightning as they dance across the horizons of the grasslands, the forests, the deserts, the tundras, and the jungles. Whispering winds of ancient souls bubble up from the rain soaked soil of centuries past. A bell tolls in the temple perched high in the mountains, as white faced magicians practice their mystical conjurings of illusion to ward off bad spirits. Burning fields of tall grass are smothered by the swift steps of natives made likened unto strangers in a strange land. The poisonous skins of dead slaves reawaken to whip fascists into history to be forgotten. Angels of ages in crimson robes descend upon the multitudes of heroes to grant immortal legacies for their good deeds in life. Now, as the millennium strikes the face of the world, the evils shall rise up as a walking plague to torment the meek. Ghosts inhabit the form of fire as they command armies of slaves to carry the weight of their empire that shall be torn asunder by a much smaller empire in the patience of time. In the aftermath of the of the first blood red night, in the dewy blue morning, the immortality of legacies begin to come forth as the tide of evil threatens the descended families of the magnificent sevens._

 _The stars race across the twilight of the new millennium that turns the sun and the moon to a madness never before seen. The winds howl. The magic persists. The hearts fly. In the dawn of the ancient rite and home of all, miseries unwind as the sevens entwine. A butterfly's wing beat touches the water gently. The image bursts as the ripples echo time and all eternity._

Lily's eyes shot open. She had woken up from the strangest dream. It was one of those dreams where you completely understand how profound and meaningful to life, but when you try to recall it, it's gone. Blinking the fading memory from her eyes, she felt a gentle touch that traced behind her ear. It was Adam. Looking forward, she could see the the fireplace that contained a few charcoaled logs leftover from the previous night. Lily had been up all night talking as yesterday was very eventful.

She stretched both of her legs which were now equal length. Yesterday was the day she got her fixator removed and she could begin the exercises that would help her walk normally again. Aside from a few biodegradable stitches, her leg felt fine. Because of the fur on her legs, the scars would almost be invisible. That same day, there was also their date in the afternoon. Their date began at Spanky's diner, which they had all to themselves as Spanky prepared them an exquisite lobster dinner. Dinner was followed by a walk through the park, and the night ended at the community theater where they watched William Shakesdeer's Hamlet. The play was upon Lily's request. If anything, it was her favorite part. She would look over and smile as she saw Adam whispering the lines from the play that he had memorized so long ago.

"Bad dream?" Adam asked.

Lily sighed as all her senses slowly came to her. She began to feel the fatigue of the cold Sunday morning and hear the last of the morning rain settle as it dripped down the shingles of the house. She could hear Adam's warm steady heartbeat. She recalled the exact events that led them to the couch. Adam, being the gentleman he was, felt it would be inappropriate if they had spent the night in his bed. Lily however, was determined to spend the night by his side in some fashion. She managed to convince him to lay down on the couch with her in his arms. "Not exactly. It was just strange."

Adam hummed in thought. "Care to share?"

Lily tried to recall the dream, but the more she tried, the further it slipped away. "I can't remember exactly. I was important, but I can't remember what it was or why it was important."

"I've had dreams like that." Adam took in a deep breath ar he stopped tracing Lily's ear and wrapped both his arms around her.

Lily almost fell back to sleep with the warmth that flooded her with Adam's embrace. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah." Adam carefully nodded to the side so that he wouldn't bump Lily with his chin. "Whenever I have dreams like that, I always feel like something big is going to happen."

Lily looked up to Adam. "Big?"

"Well, it's like something important or special is going to happen."

A gentle smile crept onto Lily's face at the notion. She looked around and felt a certain presence was lacking. Then she remembered. "Is Daniel still at Caleb's?"

Adam smiled. "Yeah. He's spending the night there again tonight as well."

"So, we have the house all to ourselves?" Lily purred as she nuzzled her head into Adam's neck. The action elicited a faint hum of a laugh from Adam as he tightened his arms around her. Lily maneuvered herself slightly upward and held Adam's face in her paws. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead against his. It was a gesture that had evolved from the time they spent together. Sometimes it was a sign that all was well, and sometimes it was a sign to ask if the other was alright. Then there were moments like this, where it symbolized a deeper love and respect that both of them had come to understand.

When they separated, Adam gently kissed Lily. "I love you."

A smile quickly spread across Lily's face as she hummed with a sense of satisfaction. "I know."

A creaking sound alerted both Adam and Lily. "Should I postpone breakfast for a while, or should I start right away?"

Lily looked up at the voice and immediately backed away in fear. "Adam! It's him!" She grabbed a vase from the side table and chucked it at the bull that was standing over them.

The bull quickly reacted and caught the vase. "I'm sorry, Master Wolff. Did I come at a bad time?"

"No, you're fine Grant, I should have remembered that you were coming today." Adam turned to reach for Lily who was now threatening to throw a phone book at Grant Cowden. "Lily. It's okay. He's not going to hurt either of us."

Lily still watched Grant as he put the vase back in its proper place while Adam gently ripped the phone book from her grasp. "Master?" Lily looked to Adam. "Why did he call you that?"

Grant took the phone book from Adam and returned it to its proper place as well. "I was a servant to the house of Wolfenstein as was my father before me and his father before him."

"He was our butler before the confrontation between my family and the Doe family. He taught me a lot." Adam managed to calm Lily down by rubbing her arm and holding her paw.

" _A lot_?" Grant laughed. "I was the one who taught you and trained you in the art of using a whip. So when you go off masquerading as a superhero, flailing your hide around, just remember who taught you how." Clearing his throat and recomposing himself, Grant stood at attention. "So, breakfast now or later?"

Adam pointed to the kitchen. "You can go ahead and start on breakfast." With a slight bow, Grant retreated to the Kitchen. When Adam turned back to Lily. "What?"

Lily had her arms crossed with an obviously upset expression. "Start explaining, now."

Adam sighed as he gave Lily her space. "He didn't really attack me. It was all a show. He did it to draw suspicion away from me so we could use the moving truck later. There was a painting I knew belong to my father. It was stolen from his office after the massacre. The one who purchased it also had other paintings of great value that had been stolen from other museums. He was a corrupt racoon who stole from many and showed mercy to few. His name was Cooning. We used my truck to steal the paintings and hold them long enough until the police could find out the true nature of the stolen art. Once Cooning was tried and convicted, Grant took the fall and lead the cops away while I continued to hide the van. And, once I returned the art, his sentence was shortened. He also got out early on good behavior."

"Okay." Lily began to shake before she slowly met Adam with a hug. "Just remember to tell me the next time you have anyone pose as someone who wants to hurt you."

Adam felt a mass of guilt build up in his chest. "Grant is not someone either of us have to worry about. I'm sorry I didn't tell you soon enough. Please forgive me."

Lily sighed into Adam's shoulder as she nodded. "Okay." Then she looked him dead in the eye. "His _breakfast_ better be as good as yours."

Adam couldn't contain the laughter that gradually overtook him.

After their simple, but delicious, breakfast on the couch, Adam helped Lily stand up and made sure she wasn't going to fall. It wasn't that she couldn't support her own weight; she had just been so used to her crutches for the longest time. Balance on both of her legs was an old idea from her childhood. She had to rediscover it. After taking a few steps, Lily got her bearings. She smiled down at her feet as she took each step. Seeing fore sure that it was real, a day later, was more meaningful to Lily. She knew wasn't dreaming.

Lily thought about how her life would be from now on. Those crutches with the hot pink tape would eventually gather dust in a corner somewhere. There would be no more chafing from the crutch's arm cuffs. Her legs could get stronger. Should would be able to run again. Lily turned to Adam who watched her with a sort of whimsical smile. She imagined the day that she could walk down an aisle to their wedding. But, there was a moment of sadness in that. She wouldn't be able to have her father there to walk her down that aisle. However, that didn't stop her from visualizing what the scene would have looked like. Lily could see her father's loving eyes as he told her how proud he was of her. Even though he couldn't be there physically, he would always be there in her heart.

"You okay?" Adam walked a little closer, worried that something was wrong.

"No," Lily smiled, "I'm more than okay. I'm fantastic."

Adam smiled with relief. He was glad to see Lily be so happy. "Why don't you get changed while I go get the paper."

After a quick shower in the secondary bathroom, Lily slipped into some comfortable clothes that included a black tank top, a red plaid shirt which she buttoned up, and a pair of loose fitting jeans. She paused when she realized that the left pant leg was still rolled up. Rolling the pant leg down, she stood up and looked in the mirror. She put on the new pair of glasses she had gotten. They were grey and black plastic cat eye glasses that were a little translucent. Satisfied with how she looked, she headed downstairs where she saw the newspaper sitting on the coffee table. Lily could hear water running, so she knew that Adam was taking his own shower.

Sitting on the couch, Lily picked up the newspaper and began to read some of the articles. A knock alerted her to Grant's presence. "Yes?"

"I would like to apologize for startling you earlier." Grant was holding a tray with a tea pot and a few mugs. "May I interest you in some tea? It looks like it might be a cold day in the Rainforest District today."

"Yes, please." Lily watched as Grant poured tea into two mugs. Handing one to her, he also took one for himself and sat in the chair adjacent to the couch. Lily was pleased when she took an experimental sip of the tea. It wasn't too sweet. It was just right. "So, you've known Adam for a long time?"

"Yes, since he was born. I was sort of his babysitter, or wrangler, if you will." Grant very gingerly and quietly sipped his tea.

"Wrangler?" Lily asked.

Grant smirked with a half laugh. "Master Wolff was a very rambunctious child like all his brothers before him. But, he _did_ have a certain spark that was different than the rest of the Wolfenstein children. He had his heart in the right place. He has always been brave when it came to stand up for other. I would often address him to his father as the mighty mouse." This made Lily laugh. "To my even greater astonishment, he was very good at living up to that title. His elder brother, George was being picked on by a lion. Before I could intervene, Adam was already standing between his brother and the lion. This little mouse of a wolf cub, because he was small for his age, was facing up against this lion. The lion was so dumbfounded and intrigued by him, that he listened to everything he had to say."

Lily found herself at the edge of her seat. "What did he say?"

"Well, to be honest, he simply asked _why_?" Grant's face held a faint smile as he stared listlessly into his tea. "We tend to take that question for granted these days. Children's voices are ignored too often when they speak the truth. Our understanding falls short, partly because we've forgotten how to listen to a child's sincerity. _Why?_ The lion remembered how to listen that day. When Adam asked the lion why he chose to act the way that he acted, the lion backed off. It was an odd experience, for all of us. I wish I only knew what was going through that lion's head that day. You know of him. This lion was a much younger Mayor Lionheart."

Lily was stunned by this account. Much like other accounts of Adam, it was simply odd. It was profound, and yet it made little to no sense. It created a tangled mess of emotions that upset Lily. She thought back to this puzzle of a wolf that she had seen Adam as. She believed she had finally made progress, when in fact, she had only completed a piece of a much larger puzzle. "He's difficult to understand, sometimes."

Grant smiled as he gently swiveled his tea to make sure nothing had settled. "He's always been like that. He's a confusing soul that was never meant to make sense. Perhaps that's what makes him so fantastic. I remember playing chess with him. His moves were always confusing, because he never followed the same pattern twice. Though he would lose on many occasions, his battles were always lengthy. Even when all odds were against him, he would never admit defeat. He seemed to be fond of stalemates better than victories. To say there is wisdom in that head of his would be a sound observation. Yet, he can be so quick to heed to shallow mortal whims. He knows better, and he is old enough to know better. But, I suppose everyone has their flaws. Adam's will always be his fear of not being good enough."

Lily set her tea on the coffee table. "But, that is also one of his greatest strengths. This conscientious fear is what gives him the motivation to be better."

Grand appeared impressed. "This, I cannot deny. And you Miss Clawhauser, you seem to understand him better than most. As I know he has opened up to you, I should say you have the upperhand in this conversation."

"Why is that?" Lily asked.

"Two mammals, who are neighbors for a century, can know so much about each other. Yet, their spouses will know them more in a single decade. Love is a powerful thing. It's something we all feel. It's the center of many emotions like happiness, anger, peace, regret, joy, and even sadness from heartache." Grant had reached the bottom of his mug. "You and Adam share something special. It is something that very few animals will see in their lifetime. And now you, like Adam, have become a mystery." Lily watched as Grant stood up and gestured to the newspaper. "I read your article, by the way. It was intriguing." Without speaking further, Grant vacated the living room.

Lily frantically searched through the newspaper. In a matter of seconds, her jaw dropped as she saw a picture of her face followed by an extensive article that took up half the page. " _The Decaying Art of Storytelling._ " Lily felt her heart burst in excitement, and also terror. She had no idea how her article had actually made it into the newspaper. It was just an experimental idea she had. She never meant for it to actually be published.

Adam finally came down the stairs with a white long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of forrest green cargo pants. "Hey." Adam nervously smiled when he saw the look on Lily's face as she tightened the grip on the newspaper. "Oh, heh, surprise."

"You did this?" Lily couldn't believe it. "How?"

Adam slowly stepped forward and leaned against the couch. "Benjamin helped me. I know that you've been thinking about becoming a journalist. And, I remembered how you talked to me about some articles you had written, but you were nervous about sharing your work. So I pulled a few strings and got a hold of the editor for Zootopia Times. Your cousin got me a copy of one of your articles, I sent the editor a copy, and he said he loved it. He said he would put it in the paper to see if people liked your work. The guy seemed really excited. He wanted me to let him know as soon as possible if you would like to write an article for every Sunday newspaper."

Lily loosened her grip on the newspaper. "He liked it?"

"Yeah, he even talked to me about hiring you." Adam scratched the back of his neck as he avoided Lily's fading glare. "Of course, I told him that was entirely up to you. I know you're probably upset by this little surprise, but I thought you should know that your work is important. And I, well, I read your article."

"What did you think?" Lily asked.

Adam looked sad, somewhat. "Does it matter what I think?"

Lily set the newspaper down and put her paw on Adam's. "Adam Cyrus Wolff, please don't give me this modesty crap. You know your opinion matters to me. I understand you think I should care more about my own opinion of my work, but that doesn't make your opinion any less important important to me. It's not the fact that I love you that makes me care about your opinion, it's the fact that I know _you_ love _me_."

An unknown doubt of faith and been shed from Adam's mind. For a brief moment, gentle silence dominated the air. "I was amazed. I found your article to be thought provoking and inspiring."

Lily thought it over. There was an opportunity that lay before her. It was an opportunity that Adam had provided. It was hers if she wanted it. It was still her choice. She thought upon the words from her article about how animals are the heroes of their own narrative. Some will seek out greatness and hope to be in the light of a legendary glory. And sometimes, an unsuspecting turn of events will thrust a bystander into a quest of heroism. As Shakesdeer once said, some have greatness thrust upon them. But to have greatness, you must be willing to accept it. "Thank you, Adam."

A simple contagious smile spread across Adam's face. "There's something else I have for you."

"More?" Lily laughed. "How can you possibly give more than you've already given?"

Adam circled the couch and pulled Lily to her feet. "To repay you for all that you've done for me."

"Done? What have I done other than fallen in love with you?"

Adam took in a full breath. "Lily Madeline Clawhauser, you have taught me so much more than you could ever know. One thing I can tell you, in this moment, is that you taught me how to believe in my dreams. So I want to help you with one of you dreams."

Lily was relaxed as Adam drove them to a different side of town. There was a warmth that came with the ever rising sun. The neighborhood was still with little glimpses of friendly faces and familiar gestures of friendly salutations. Lily noticed a clean white building that flashed by before her eyes before Adam slowed the truck down and swung around to find a parking spot. With the truck parked, they walked down the sidewalk, paw in paw. Lily saw the white building come back into view. She noticed that it was made of brick. The white walls seemed as if they had been freshly painted. The glow of the building was accented by green trim of the widows that overflowed with life and light.

Once they reached the door, Adam stopped Lily in her tracks. "Okay, close your eyes. It's a surprise."

Lily huffed a bit as she closed her eyes. She listened as Adam opened the door for her and guided her inside. Lily laughed when Adam warned her about peeking. She could hear other voices grow. The shadows of light on her eyelids indicated that they were stepping into a room inside the building. She could feel wood slightly creek under her step. The voices became louder and reverberated around the room. "Adam?"

Adam held her shoulders as he brought her to a gentle stop. "Alright. You can open your eyes now."

Lily gasped the moment she realized where she was standing. The ballroom was lit by several chandeliers, whose light was echoed by the mirrors on the walls. Lily saw several couples practicing a few dance steps while others chatted and waited for the instructor. Lily looked at Adam, almost incredulously.

"You told me how you always wanted to be a dancer, well, I know it's a bit late. I mean, I'm no dancing expert, so I wouldn't really know. But I thought you would like this, because it could help with your leg and all. And I signed us both up, because I wanted to learn with you." Adam rubbed the back of his neck, still nervously awaiting Lily's response. "Lily? Lily, I uh-." Adam was cut off by Lily in a hug.

"You remember how I always called you a dork?" Lily buried her face in Adam's shoulder.

Adam wrapped his arms around Lily to return the hug. "Do you take it back?"

"Of course not, you'll always be a dork." Lily followed in the laughter that Adam started at that. "The dorks are the romantic ones, though. So please, don't ever change."

"Okay." Adam smiled as he gently rocked with Lily in his arms. He was surprised to see the rest of the couples in the ballroom smile at them. Then he noticed as the dance instructor, a zebra, stepped into the room. "Hey, Lily?"

Before Adam could say anything else to ruin the moment, Lily grabbed his face by the snout to keep his mouth shut. "Just shut up and dance with me."

After some two hours of basic introductions to ballroom dancing, some drills, and a few corrections, the instructor informed everyone that it was time to test their knowledge and dance for themselves. She opened up a standing box which contained a record player. One of the black disks was already in place. The zebra gave the box a decent amount of cranks before gently placing the needle on the record and releasing the pause lever. A surprisingly new song began to play.

Lily and Adam were the first to take to the floor. Adam felt confident in each step he took while Lily trusted in the counts, that matched the song, to guide her landings. Some were reluctant to join them because of their unique display. Each stride of theirs was unique, yet their differences were complimenting to the other nonetheless. However, there were those who did fall victim to the moving inspiration that radiated a simple and ancient truth that needs no introduction. One after another, others crossed the threshold of the seemingly forbidden wood land. A few older generations elected to sway back and forth as the class had taken their energy.

Lily laughed as Adam attempted to twirl her. It made her dizzy and almost ripped her balance from under her. However, Adam was there to steady her before she even had a chance to fall. "Who knew relying on crutches could mess with your balance."

Adam's expression paled at that. A festering ghost of doubt had returned from the grave to jab him in the side. "I'm not a crutch, am I?"

Lily gave him a stern look. "Love is not a crutch. Something eating you?"

Adam couldn't keep it in any longer. "It's about your friend Kit. I feel like I've come between the two of you. I even think, maybe, you've used me as a shield." Adam could see the discomfort in Lily's face. "I know you haven't been talking to her, but I just don't want you to throw away your childhood friend just because she doesn't like me."

Lily lowered her head as a shaky breath escaped from her lungs. "I did try talking to her, but she didn't say anything."

"Is there something I can do?" Adam asked.

"If I let you help me with all of my problems, you _will_ be a crutch." Lily sighed. "Thanks for the offer, though." A grueling silence overtook Lily as her mind warred. Whims bombarded the city of her hopes while love stormed the beaches of her lackluster desires. A tainted image prevailed. A poor and distressed Adam sat on an empty stage. Two masks hung from his neck. Tragedy latched to his face as comedy mocked him with it's own splintery demise as fragments of bygone legends fled the scene. Lily remembered how he once wanted to be an actor. Was he acting now? Was it all just an act?

Adam cupped one of Lily's cheeks with his paw. "From fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty's rose might never die," Adam quoted. Lily looked up as he quoted something else with a different sincerity she had never seen before. "To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? Or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them?"

Lily brushed at a wet spot in the corner of Adam's eye. "My honored lord." She noticed a smile break on his face. "Can you just marry me already?"

A gentle laugh hummed between the two of them. Adam took Lily's paw in his. "Maybe someday. But for now, I have one last surprise for you."

Lily couldn't have imagined eating lunch at the top of a skyscraper. Yet there she was, eating lunch at the top of the skyscraper. After driving downtown, they stopped by the building and walked into the reception area. After Adam asked for David, a skunk with coveralls and a hard had came by and took them on an exceptionally long elevator ride to the top. Adam explained how he was cashing in a favor. The lunch was good, but nothing to write home about. Lily was particularly intrigued by the view of the city. She had never seen it from this high up before.

"Do you like it?" Adam asked.

Lily ripped her sight from the view to face a more comforting one. "The view? It's wonderful."

Adam smiled. "Good. You know I always thought sunsets were a little too cliche. I mean, at this time the sun can light everything below us. In a sunset, or a sunrise, you only see the light. You never see what the light was meant for."

"Adam, I might just have a heart attack from how you're spoiling me right now." Lily stood up from the lunch table she sat at and used it to make her way over to Adam. "It feels like you've given up things to be with me."

"No, I haven't really given up much. I've just given up some of my flaws. True love isn't about giving up everything. It's about sacrificing your flaws, kind acts, and helping each other become the best that they can be." Adam stood up and led Lily to the rail that stood between them and a thousand foot drop. "Lily, you've brought out some of the best in me. I can only hope that I have done the same for you."

"You have." Lily pressed a kiss into Adam's cheek.

Adam seemed to stare out beyond the city, like something had been approaching on the horizon. "I was a little embarrassed earlier. Because you asked me the same question I had prepared for you now."

Lily felt her heart stop. It took her a matter of seconds until she knew exactly what question that was. She covered her mouth as she watched Adam pulled out a small box he had managed to conceal from her. When he opened it, Lily was on the brink of tears.

Adam picked up the ring which was a simple silver band, but it was the gem that made it unique. It was a single ruby shaped like a heart. "It belonged to my mother. I had it sized to fit you." Adam looked deeply into Lily's eyes as he held the ring. "Lily, will you marry me?"

Lily didn't hesitate for a moment. "Yes. A thousand times, yes." The moment the ring slipped onto her finger, she felt the fireworks that echoed through her body and mind. Adam lowered his head to touch his forehead to Lily's. Nothing stirred them, not even the whistling winds that carried the distant voices of the city below. Lily smiled at a certain thought that came to mind. "Can I be the one to tell Daniel?"

Adam looked quizzically at Lily. "That we're engaged?"

Lily shook her head. "No. I want to be the one to tell him that his mother found her way home. That she found her husband, and her son."


	23. Chapter 23

Whiplash

Chapter 23 "Sharks Don't Sleep: Part 1"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

 _Animals from all around stared at whatever screen was available as the news feeds became turbulent. There was an explosion of crime that plagued the streets of Zootopia. Attacks went up by forty percent. Predators became fearful as their persecution skyrocketed with the victims of these attacks mostly being prey animals. Rumors of war plagued the underworld as a mysterious power had come to rise. Everyone watched as their world seemed to unravel. Every one feared for the worst as a lone anchorman took the stage of international television. "Citizens of Zootopia, these are dark times. We do have confirmation that these attacks on prey animals are indeed true. In the past it was do to a toxin that provoked predators to attack. If only this were the case. We have received information that a radical group of terrorists, known as Novus Purificatio, have been openly attacking prey animals to further their cause. Hold on. We're getting this live? Ladies and gentlemen. We seem to be getting confirmed reports. Yes? Yes. We do have confirmed reports of bombs going off in City Central. I'm being told that authorities have asked citizens to evacuate the city." The screens cut out, and cries rang through the streets as fire rained from the sky while unknown soldiers marched into the streets to trample all who stood in their path._

Lily shot up in her bed. Wait, she thought, this isn't my bed. Then she remembered that it wasn't. It was her boyfriend's. Strange, she contemplated, why is it strange that I'm in my boyfriend's bed. A piercing noise caught her attention. Her eyes shot to a television set. The screen displayed what looked like a security feed. There were soldiers of sorts in camouflaged uniforms storming some lab of sorts. She could hear voices, " _The rebels have breached the containment unit!"_ The snow leopard found herself staring at the image as though she were in the trance.

A voice interrupted her trance. "Hey babe. Can you turn that thing off? It's kinda loud. Babe?" The figure picked up the remote and shut of the television. "What's gotten into you?"

Lily felt irked as she came face to face with the owner of the bed she was in. "Sorry Brad, I'm just out of it." She looked the taller snow leopard up and down. He was brushing his teeth with a towel wrapped around his waist. Some of his fur was still wet. "You took your shower without me?" Lily felt a burning sensation on her paw. She suddenly felt sick for flirting like that.

Brad laughed as he stepped back into the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste. "You take showers with all the cats you've spend your nights with?"

Lily rubbed her paw and realized that the burning sensation was right at the base of a finger where she swore something was missing, yet it wasn't. "Where's my ring?"

"What ring? You don't wear rings." Brad commented while he pulled on some pants.

Lily looked around and gave up for no other reason than Brad's word. "Oh, you're right."

Brad pulled on a graphic tee. "Still out of it?"

"Yeah, I just had the strangest dream." Lily laughed as she recalled it. "I don't know why, but for some reason I was being engaged to a wolf."

"Engaged? Wolf? Now there's two things that aren't like you at all." Brad laughed as he took a brush to his fur.

That made Lily frown. Brad was starting to annoy her. Something wasn't quite right. "You don't think I'm the marrying type?"

Brad stared blankly at Lily. "Weren't you saying the other day how you didn't want to be tied down?"

This was all wrong. Lily couldn't figure out why she'd ever talk like this. "I said that?"

"Yeah! You were going on about how you had places to go and things to do." Brad seemed slightly sad at that.

"You don't seem happy that I said that." Lily froze when she realized that she was wearing no clothes under the blanket. She panicked a little and yanked the blanket around herself like a cocoon.

Brad seemed distant as he sat down on the beanbag chair in the corner of the room. "The world would probably never be the same if the famous Lily Clawhauser was seen going steady. I know this wasn't meant to be anything. I was just getting my hopes up I guess."

"I'm sorry." Lily felt a pang of sympathy for the snow leopard, but something was wrong. Looking at his eyes, she saw that they looked glassy. For a moment his eyes seemed to flash a familiar gold.

"No you're not." The sad expression vanished as loud noises erupted from outside. Brad's face went stoic. "You're just saying that. But none of this matters anymore."

Lily shook her head. This had to stop. "No! Wait. What's going on? Everything you're saying, it doesn't sound like me."

Brad shook his head. "Is that what you said to the other guys you've slept with."

"What other guys? Those must be rumors!" Lily felt a raging headache build inside her skull. Voices began to ring in her ears. "What's happening?!" Lily shut her eyes tight and began to cry, furiously. None of this made sense that wasn't her. She didn't sleep around, she wasn't famous, and she never led others on. This was like a nightmare, but it was as real as her eyes could see. She wished to be back in the dream. A kind eyed wolf and a sweet little deer taunted the edge of her sanity in that moment. But the more she tried to remember the dream, the faster it was taken from her. When she opened her eyes, brad was gone. "Brad?" She lunged out of bed and grabbed what she recognized as her clothes. Rushing her dress, she ran down the hallway and sighed with relief when she saw Brad making coffee.

"What?" His eyes were ablaze with a silent contempt that had poisoned his mind. "Care to insult me more?!"

Lily walked up and slapped him across the face. "Listen to me! I don't what came over me. I haven't been myself obviously, and I don't want that ruin whatever it was we had last night."

Brad removed his paw from the burning cheek that Lily had slapped. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Lily gently grabbed him by the sleeve. "It seems you've heard a lot about me from others. Well, I got something to tell you. Don't ask anybody about me, except me. Got it?"

Brad cautiously stretched a paw over Lily's. "It was wrong of me to prejudge you the way I did."

Lily felt great. This indescribable feeling of freedom consumed her. She felt like she was in control. "Water under the bridge. And besides, you are kinda cute. If I were to give you a chance, would you still take it?"

Brad looked on in awe. "Am I missing something here?"

"I'm being serious." Lily grasped Brad's arm and shook it.

Brad clasped his paws together and made a futile attempt to blink away his confusion. "Hold on. Wait. Let me get this straight. You're giving me a second chance?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Screw it." She grabbed Brad by the face and stole a kiss from the clueless snowleopard. "Got it?"

Brad smiled like a dope. "Okay." His twitchy grin could only get goofier. "Can we do that again."

Lily laughed and leaned in, but before she could kiss him, a voice whispered in her ear, " _Veni vidi vici."_

Lily pulled away. Brad groaned. "What? Is it my breath?"

Peering over Brad's shoulder, Lily could see a cloaked figure removing a hood. The lowered hood revealed a snow leopard whose eyes were so bright that Lily could not describe them. "Who is she?"

"Who is who?" Brad turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Who are you?!" He went for a knife but was thwarted by the cloaked figure who sent a wave of pink energy hurling at him. Brad flew across the room and down the hall.

Lily froze as the figure glared her dagger eyes through her soul. "Please, don't hurt him."

The figure's face softened. " _You cannot hurt that which is not real."_

"Not real?" Lily shook her head. "What does that even mean."

" _Everything you see before you is not so."_ The mysterious snow leopard appeared familiar to Lily some how. " _You have been hoodwinked. You are in grave danger, Lily Clawhauser."_

Lily was taken aback. "How did you know my name?"

" _Not from the fame of your fiction in this world. It's complexities are beyond my own understanding, yet here we are."_ The cloaked figure picked up the knife which dissipated into what looked like a flash of pixels. " _Technology beyond my time. Yet, it is your world. You possess some control over it."_

Lily put her paws up as she desperately tried to interpret this new information. "Control?"

" _Yes Lily. You do possess control. You must regain control."_ The snow leopard raised her finger and pointed and Brad. " _Retake control by eliminating those who stand in your way."_

Lily looked at Brad who held his paws up as desperation entwined with anxiety ripped through his eyes. "Lily don't do this, please."

Lily looked to the hooded figure. "No, I won't kill him. I can't."

" _Then you are lost."_ The figure stretched forth her paw and an image appeared on the floor. The image manifested into a still body.

Lily fell to her knees as her mind jumpstarted with memories that had somehow been suppressed. She traced her paw over the limp body and its strange apparel. The blue and red combat suit was marked only by a white W that had been marred by blood and dirt. Carefully, she removed the body's mask to reveal a dark furred wolf with glassy golden eyes that stared into oblivion. Lily felt hot tears leak from her face before she even knew what happened. "Why do I cry?"

" _Because he is real. He is not a fantasy of this machine you have been trapped in for far too long."_

Brad came crawling back. "Don't listen to her! She's lying! Lily, it's trying to mess with your head." Lily turned a sad glance to Brad as she saw how he was disfigured. His legs and one arm had been blown off, but there was no blood that stained the floor. Rather, the radius of Brad's body glowed as pixelated stubs began to regrow. "Please, don't leave me. Please don't kill me."

Lily shook her head. "How can this be? What is real?!"

" _This wolf, he is real. If you do not relinquish this weakness of your soul, he will surely die. This fiction cannot die, for he was never real."_ With a wavering paw, the figure did away with the image.

Lily felt her heart as it was stabbed by the revelation of a quiet voice that whispered more words into her ear. Standing up from the shadow of a masked memory, she faced Brad. "Control."

Brad began to shake in fear. "Please, no. I don't want to die!"

Lily fought the deceitful pain that was plaguing her heart. "Alternate."

Brad's face froze as his eyes became hot pools of tears. His stare was haunting and unnerving. But behind the deception, Lily could see a cold and heartless mass of codes and numbers.

Lily cried out, "Delete!"

In a flash of bright light, both Brad and the mysterious stranger disappeared from before her. A loud alarm rang out. Bright red light began to flash, but where they came from was a mystery. Lily gasped as the walls to the house caught fire. A voice alerted her attention to the front door.

"She's dying in there! We have to get her out now!"

Lily rushed to the door. She yanked on the handle and gave it all her might, but the handle wouldn't budge. The lock was broken. Lily watched in horror as smoke began to fill the room.

"She's suffocating!"

Lily felt her mind as it slowly began to fail her. It was like her head was being crushed under a boulder. But then, she remembered something the voice had whispered. "Veni, vidi, vici." Without warning, the door opened outward and let in a swarm of black that flooded the house. For a moment, Lily was blind. She felt her knees land in mud. An uncontrollable force caused Lily to heave up what felt like tubes running down her throat. She ripped them out to take a breath of tainted air. Heat, cold, and shock waves bombarded her senses as she ripped off a mask that had covered her eyes. A salty aftertaste caused Lily to pucker her face and squint. As her vision slowly became her own, she was distraught by what she saw.

The land was dark and lit only by the dim smoldering lights of fire. Patches of grass and oil burned across this vast field that was a field of battle. Soldiers ran with glowing rifles that launched streams of focused plasma as they dodged enemy fire and hopped over spike filled trenches. Lily could hear only a ringing in her ear as she watched two soldiers get blown away by a shell that made them vanish in a plume of earth and dust. Airships flew over the field as they rained cannon fire on the enemy. Lily could faintly hear soldiers prematurely cheering the zeppelin on before it erupted into a cloud of explosive gas.

A paw grabbed Lily by the arm and shaked her hearing back into reality. Over the roar and rumble of the battlefield, she heard the voice of a familiar fox. "It's about time sleeping beauty! Come on we gotta get a move on!" It was Nick Wilde.

Lily almost didn't recognize him because of the tattered armored leather jacket and battle harness he wore. His face was partially covered by the black brim of a tattered blue post office hat. "Officer Wilde? Where am I?"

A red wolf knelt by them. "Captain we have to keep moving!"

"Sara's right." Nick push Lily to her feet. "We need to get to the transport."

Lily was running before she realized who this Sara was. It was Sara Red, the sister of Daniel's friend. Daniel, Lily remembered. But, Sara was just a little cub when she last saw her. How could she be fully grown? Lily shook these questions from her mind as she focused on the task at hand. Running.

This was easier said than done. Lily hadn't run in a long time. The fact that she wasn't falling flat on her face was nothing short of a miracle. She focused on each step as she sprinted alongside Nick and Sara. She listened for commands from them. When they yelled to jump, she would jump. When they yelled to duck, she would duck. Lily's surroundings were a blur as they disappeared behind her back. The only discernible buildings were a few burning shacks and collapsed houses. Fire and darkness reigned over her senses. A shrill descending sound grew louder.

Nick motioned to a nearby car and yelled, "Take cover!"

The crashing explosion that followed split the sound of the battle field and caused Lily's ears to ring. A blinding flash disoriented her. Realizing that she was falling, she jumped into a roll to avoid serious injury. Recollecting herself as much as she could, Lily looked frantically for Sara and Nick. Nick was leaning against the car, wincing as he grabbed his knee. Lily crawled over to him. "Detective Wilde are you alright?"

"Yeah," Nick took deep breaths as he tested his leg, "I did a pretty bad number on my knee. Where's Sara?"

"Over here." Lily felt her heart stop when she saw Sara on the ground with a large piece of shrapnel that had impaled her leg. "Sara?"

"It's bad." Sara dragged herself a painful three feet to the car so she could rest her back against it. "How's the Captain?"

Lily glanced at Nick who did his best to look fine and gave her the thumbs up. "He's alright, but he injured his knee."

"Stupid old fox." Sara laughed until she cringed at a pain in her side. Lifting her arm, she discovered another piece of shrapnel that was wedged between her ribs. "I'm not gonna make it."

Lily shook her head. "No we can help you we just need a plan and a little time."

"There is no time!" Sara unclipped one of her two plasma revolvers and shoved it into Lily's paw. "Take this. Save the captain. I don't know why the Phoenix needs you, but she says you're important. And, I believe that." Sara readied her plasma rifle. "I'll cover you. Go. Now!"

Lily lifted Nick onto her shoulder and bolted off into the darkness.

Sara saw the enemy soldiers in the distance. "Hello there." She began to take careful aim with her rifle. One by one she picked off each soldier that came running at her. Then a larger set soldier, a grizzly bear, stepped into view. Sara shivered as she recognized the flame thrower he carried. She pulled the trigger on her rifle only to be mocked by a disappointing empty click. Throwing her rifle away, Sara grabbed her other plasma revolver and raised is with her fading strength as more life leaked from her body. "Daniel, I never got to tell you." She fired her first shot. It missed. "I don't know why I didn't." Sara fired her second shot. The plasma barely grazed the bear enough to make him laugh. "I'll see you soon Caleb." As Sara remembered her brother, she fired her third shot. It hit its mark.

Lily stopped to take a breath as she turned around to see the pillar of fire that erupted in the distance. "Sara." She paused for a moment of silence before booking it once again into the dark. She flinched as two shots were fired over her head.

"Hostium!" A voice called out.

Lily saw a pair of glowing red eyes. Raising the plasma pistol she fired just below the eyes. A flash of green consumed the unknown soldier before its body disappeared into the abyss of Night.

"Nice shot." Nick whispered. "You just need to make it to the iron _mole_. It's just over this hill."

"Got it!" Lily checked the body of the soldier and undid a belt. Wrapping the belt around her own waist, she tucked the plasma revolver into a sort of soft holster that formed around the gun. Once again she dove back into the darkness with Nick on her shoulder.

Nick pulled out a scanner. "Wait a minute. Stop!"

Lily stopped. "What is it?"

Nick slowly slid off of Lily's shoulder. "The iron _mole_ approaches."

Lily jumped back as the surface of the hill collapsed to reveal a spiraling drill penetrated the air. The drill was followed by a strange vehicle that resembled a cylindrical tank. On the side was while letters that read M.O.L.E. "What is it?"

Nick limped up to the vehicle. "Mechanical Operations Light Excavator, or just iron mole. We've been using these to dig right under our enemy's feet." Nick knocked on a panel. "This is Captain Wilde of the Post Office Batallion. The package is secure."

The panel opened to reveal a badger. "Where's Sara?" Nick said nothing and bowed his head. "I see. Is she the package?"

"Yeah Honey, she's what the Phoenix was after." Nick motioned for Lily to come forward.

Honey looked Lily up and down. "Great, another stranger. Get in, kid."

Lily followed Nick into the mole. Her eyes were bombarded by the bright lights onboard. She flinched as the hatch snapped shut behind her. Without warning, the mole turned around and began excavating back into the hole it came from. Steadying herself on an arm rail, Lily finally got a good look at herself. Her limbs felt thinner as if she hadn't been eating a lot. She tugged at the strange neoprene suit she was wearing which had various metal attachments for various sensors and zippers up the wazoo. Some of the cables were still attached.

"Don't worry kid, we got more comfortable clothes for you at HQ." Nick hopped into a seat and pulled the overhead bar down into place so that he was locked in. "Take a seat."

Lily followed Nicks example and locked herself down into a chair. "Detective Wilde-."

"Woah," Nick interrupted, "Detective? Why do you keep calling me that?"

"You're a cop aren't you?"

"A cop? Ha! The old carrot general might have been a cop, but I sure as heck never was. Before this stupid war I was just a pawpsicle hustler. A con artist." Nick sighed. "I guess I didn't really amount to anything in that life. But, then the war came."

Lily couldn't make any sense out of it. It was as if everything she knew had been changed. Then, she noticed the strange collar with a glowing green light on Nick's neck. "Det-uh, Captain Wilde? Can you explain what's been going on?"

Flabbergasted by her query, Nick chuckled. "You mean the war?"

Before they could finish the conversation, Honey addressed Nick. "Captain, the explosives have been planted. Shall I commence detonation?"

"See any NP's in the tunnel?" Nick smirked in a deranged way that only mad mammals could.

Honey hummed in delight. "Bogeys inbound."

Nick whistled and clicked his tongue. "Light 'em up like Christmas!"

Honey flipped a red switch on the control panel. "Ten seconds!" Maneuvering several other scattered levers and dials, the mole began to tilt. "Entering the descending tunnel. Five seconds! Fifteen degrees, twenty three, thirty one…" Lily felt her body weight shift as the mole began a downward descent. "Brace yourselves!" A shockwave slapped the mole forward. Lily nearly screamed from the sudden sensation of falling. "Woohoo! Ninety degrees baby!"

Lily felt the rollercoaster of a ride take its toll on her body. On one hand she was terrified from the drop, and on the other hand, she felt like she was going to be sick.

Nick noticed the green in her face. "I hope you didn't eat a lot!"

Honey watched a timer carefully. "Come on, come on. There!" She yanked on a lever. "Friction wheels, extending…"

Lily felt the weight of her body as she felt the effects of gravity sink her into her seat. The mole curved into a horizontal approach and gradually slowed down. "Where are we going?"

Nick went on to explain. "Our headquarters are deep underground in the abandoned fallout burrows to avoid detection from the NP's, the members of Novus Purificatio."

Honey groaned. "Can we just get this girl a history book or something?"

Nick laughed. "Oh yeah, that would be great if the NP's hadn't burned them all." Shaking his head, he returned his attention to Lily. "Sorry about this miss, the Phoenix will explain everything."

Lily kept quiet for the duration of the ride. Eventually, the mole stopped and was met by a peculiar light that flashed through the portholes. Nick lifted the bar and freed Lily from her restraints. After flipping a few more switches, Honey reached over and pulled down a latch that released the door panel's locking mechanism. With a steady hum, the reinforced steel door panel opened up. Lily stepped out of the mole and took in the sight of the cavern they were in. The ceiling was easily thirty meters high, being supported by various wood and steel beams. There were other iron moles that were being repaired while others had recently arrived with soldiers pouring out of them. Lily felt uncomfortable when she was met by several angry or mistrusting stares.

Honey grabbed Nick by the shoulder and whispered to him. "You know Daniel will be upset about Sara."

Nick winced from the pain in his knee. "I know."

Medics rushed to attend to Nick while two guards escorted Lily to a bulkhead that opened up to dismal grey walls. The hallway was narrow and unforgiving to the accommodation of the many animals that bustled through. At last, Lily found herself being led to an office. Once inside the door was shut behind her. She felt nervous from the stillness of the office. It was less forgiving than the dreary hall way. Tattered maps were strewn about with dark red strings webbing out across the room. The only curious objects were a faded orange carrot pen and a framed badge that still seemed to shine. Lily froze as the desk chair spun around. "Judy Hopps?"

Judy stood up in her chair. Something was wrong, though. Aside from looking older and her unusually droopy ears, her left arm was missing and had been replaced by a menagerie of mechanical parts and wires. "You know me, but I don't know you. I see you're just like our mysterious guest the Phoenix. Though, I use the word guest loosely."

Lily groaned. "It would seem that this Phoenix has given us both grief. It's very apparent that your soldiers believe your _guest_ has worn his welcome, Detective." The rabbit's furrowed eyebrows were telling that a mistake had been made twice. Lily raised her paw and stopped Judy before she could respond. "Hold up, you weren't part of the ZPD either."

"I was. But, I was never a detective." Judy eyed the framed badge on her desk. "I was officer, determined to serve and protect. I was given the chance to prove myself, but at the cost of my job. I would have been a fool to take on that case. The chief didn't think much of me then. Then this war business started. The NP's rose up claiming that predators were being targeted with some serum that made them go crazy. A bunch of malarky if you ask me."

"Right." Lily glued her eyes to the floor as she processed all this new information. First off, this was not her world. Secondly, this world spawned from an alternate version of her reality. She didn't know how that was even possible. History couldn't be rewritten.

The door burst in with a whistling Nick carefully balancing on a crutch. The crutch made Lily feel queasy. "Hey General carrots! Check out my new metal." Nick showed off the leg brace that had probably belonged to other animals before him.

"Why are you wearing a leg brace?! Report!" Judy jumped down to meet Nick face to face.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Oh lighten up Carrots."

Judy's foot began to tap really fast. "You are so infuriating, you know that?"

"It's not like you ever gave me the chance." Nick covered his mouth and whispered to Lily. "Feisty, isn't she."

Judy waved her good arm. "I can still hear you, _fox_."

Nick turned around with a big old grin full of sarcasm. "There it is! Hey, FYI because I don't know if you know this, not all predators are the same!" The green light on his collar flashed between orange and yellow.

"I haven't trusted _you_ in the past because you have a tendency to _lie_." Judy stood up on her toes to appear taller as she pointed her accusing finger at Nick.

"Lying, stretching the truth. Potato pototto." Nick waved off Judy's scrutiny.

Lily couldn't take their bickering any more. "Stop! The two of you know better, and you're old enough to know better than to be bickering like an old married couple. Am I the only sane mammal around here! For goodness sakes, get a grip."

"We're _not_ married!" Nick and Judy yelled simultaneously.

"I _don't_ care." Lily closed her eyes and took a deep. "Listen, General Hopscotch. Captain Foxtail over here got me here safely, which I gathered was his mission. Well guess what? Successful mission! I'm here. Now what?"

Judy huffed as she rested her metal arm on her hip. "What happened to Sarah?"

Lily looked at the holster on her hip that contained Sara's revolver. "She didn't make it."

Judy gave a single nod. "I see." Judy stared grimly at Nick. "I'll tell Daniel. Someone has to take responsibility around her." With that, Judy marched out of her office and slammed the door behind her.

Lily looked to Nick. "Has she always been like that?"

Nick shrugged as he adjusted his post office cap. "I knew everybody that lived in the city before the war. And, I could never forget a meter maid as cheerful as her. She was probably the only cheerful meter maid, next to the old goat. I don't know what happened. I mean, we all kind of died in our own way. How she died? I ain't got a clue."

Lily looked around the office. She caught, in the corner of her eye, a family portrait with Judy and a number of other rabbits. "I think I know."

Lily had been escorted to her own room which she thought was more generous than she deserved. Going through some of the clothes she had been offered, she selected a few items to wear over the neoprene suit. Though the suit was a bit odd, it proved to be warmer that some of the pants and shirts that were almost thin as paper. She had know idea why it was so cold, even for her. Lily pulled on a pair of cargos with drawstrings. She wrapped the belt and holster over a tattered trench coat she found hanging on a coat rack in her room. Feeling comfortable with her outfit, she ventured off to the mess all to get some much needed food. She felt like she could eat a swordfish in one go.

Fortunately, Lily was able to navigate the shelter by reading the bountiful signs that were mounted over each bulkhead entrance. Unfortunately, once she got to the mess hall, someone had been waiting for her. "Daniel?" At first Lily was excited because she had longed to meet up with the deer, the son she hoped she would share one day with Adam. She had barely come to remember him. It was like her memories were catching up to her. However, the angry look the now grown Daniel wore was disturbing to say the least.

"So, you're the reason she's dead." That line was like a knife to Lily's heart. This was no longer the sweet little stag that she had grown to love. This was someone else. She noted the collar on Daniel's neck that was similar to the one Nick Wilde wore.

"Daniel. Please, you don't understand." Lily tried to approach Daniel only to be choked.

"It's your fault!" Several other soldiers struggled to rip Daniel from Lily. "It's your fault she's dead!" The soldiers finally restrained Daniel enough to where they could drag him away as he kicked and screamed. "I hope you go to hell!"

Lily panted and gasped for breath as she fell to her knees. "He doesn't remember me." For the first time Lily was afraid.

"Don't think too badly of Daniel Wolfenstein." A strange tiger leaning against the wall held a bottle of Cub Soda. "He's had it bad since he was just a little tike. I mean first his dad, then Caleb, and now Sara. It's a shame." The tiger winced as he sipped the soda which was visibly flat.

Lily observed the tiger. His tan trench coat had the sleeves torn off to reveal the rolled up sleeves of a desert camouflage fatigue. His battle harness was much different than the other soldiers who had more tactical police gear. The tiger's was mostly a mash up of different straps and pouches. His left shoulder was covered by a pauldron from pawball pads. Carved into the pauldron was the phrase _tigre del fuego_. "His father?" Lily noticed that like Nick Wilde, this tiger also had a collar and sported a post office cap.

"Old Whiplash? Yeah. Did you know him?" The tiger gave up with the flat sod and handed it off to a passing soldier who drank it without hesitation.

Lily felt her hopes go up. "Yes I do." She was a bit surprised that Adam had revealed his identity and even more surprised that he was addressed as Wolfenstein instead of Wolff. "Where is he?"

"Follow me." The tiger led Lily to a cabinet on the other side of the mess hall. "I'm sorry, but you missed him by about five years."

Lily's breath went shaky as she put her paw up to the glass and stared at the tattered blue cloth with the all to recognizable white insignia. "No." She turned away from the cabinet. "No it can't be."

The tiger sadly took of his cap to cover his heart for a moment. "He was one of the best soldiers I ever knew. Whiplash fought harder than most of us. It seemed like he was always looking for something."

"Or someone." Lily had become of the full weight of where she was. She was in a world where she had been absent. Things changed. Her fiance was dead. "How did he die?"

The tiger looked quizzically at Lily. "What do you mean by that?"

Lily brought herself to look back at the scrap of Adam's combat suit. "Did he die heroically? Did he save someone? Did he have any impact in this war?"

The tiger shook his head. "No. Though he was good, he wasn't good enough." The tiger put his cap back on. "I'm sorry for your loss, but I have to get going now."

"Wait," Lily grabbed the tiger by one of the straps to his harness, "I didn't catch you name."

"My name is really of no consequence." When he saw that Lily wanted to know he nodded. "I had the same name as Whiplash. Now I really must be going now. I gotta get back to my wife, before she starts thinking I got a girlfriend." With that and a wink, Adam the _tiger_ left.

Lily lingered by the cabinet and stared at the blue fabric that was already fading from its once dark blue color. She had lost her appetite and no longer felt the desire to eat. She had just learned that Adam Wolff, the wolf she had fallen in love with, was gone forever. That, and Daniel hated her for the death of his last friend. It seemed like all hope was lost. There was nothing left in this world for her now. Nothing.

Suddenly, the mess hall went quiet. The stillness magnified the sounds of much lighter footsteps. Lily turned and was surprised to see every soldier in the room staring in the same direction. Lily followed their eyes to a strange personage who was dressed in strange red robes that looked mighty familiar. She was another snow leopard. "Child, why do you cry?"

Lily wiped her eyes. "I have lost the family I made for myself. Their lives seem so insignificant in this war. It's like they never mattered. Have I just wasted my life, for this?"

The snow leopard was old, very visibly so. The way her fur sagged on her face was a strange accent to the smile that dawned. "Nothing is lost, when it has been stolen."

The tone of the snow leopard's voice was haunting. "Stolen?"

"You know what to do when something is stolen?" The snow leopard produce a ring from her sleeve.

Lily recognized the ruby heart that was the centerpiece of her engagement ring. "Where did you get that?" Lily tried to swipe the ring away from her, but the old snow leopard was faster.

"Follow me." The old snow leopard lead Lily to a strange corridor that ended in a bulkhead. Once they reached the door, the old snow leopard raised her paw. A pink aura enveloped the heavy steel door and opened it.

Lily knew she had seen her from somewhere. She recalled the dreamlike trance she had been under. "You helped me escape the dream."

The old snow leopard looked casually at Lily before shaking her head. "No, I didn't. You did that on your own accord. Unless it was a vision of me, it wasn't me. The living can't walk among dreams." She stepped through the bulkhead which opened into a small cavern.

Lily saw the cavern by the light of glowing candles that lit up every crack and crevice. Basic necessities for living conditions were evident from the simple bed to the white weathered dresser. At the back of the wall was a strange altar with candles that surrounded a blue book with gold pages. "Who are you."

The old snow leopard gave a whimsical smile. "The soldiers, along with General Hopps and Captain Wilde, call me the Phoenix."

"So you're the one who's been causing trouble." Lily eyed the ring in the Phoenix's possession. "Why do you have that?"

The Phoenix looked thoughtfully at the ring. "The soldiers found it with a box of other belongings of yours that was retrieved from the first attempt to rescue you. Do you want your wedding ring back?"

Lily was taken aback by that. "That's my engagement ring."

"Oh, forgive me." the Phoenix laughed to herself. "I forget that time has unfolded differently for you. Here." The Phoenix lifted up Lily's left paw and slid it onto her ring finger. "You're gonna need it."

Lily stood silently as she stared at the Phoenix. This old snow leopard looked familiar, and that wasn't just because they were both snow leopards. She watched as the Phoenix sat down with the book surrounded by candles. Her mind wandering, Lily looked around the earthy room. Her attention was drawn to the dresser. Atop the dresser was a menagerie of items that would seem typical of any old creature. But one item, it was one item that mad Lily's heart race with a strange sickness as she had never experienced. "My glasses." Lily picked up the thick plastic frames. "These are my old glasses, but they were broken. How are they in one piece?"

The Phoenix gently turned her head to see the glasses. "Those aren't _your_ glasses. They're mine." The Phoenix picked up a small box from the floor. Standing up, she opened the box and retrieved a broken pair of glasses that had the same frames as the glasses Lily was holding. "These are your glasses."

Lily looked into the eyes of the Phoenix. She knew she _had_ seen those eyes before, in a mirror. "You're…"

The Phoenix set the box down and reached around her neck. Tucking a finger under a metal chain, she pulled out two rings. One was the ruby heart ring, except there was another thin band that had been connected with it. The other ring was a silver ring with a wood inset. "That's right Lily Clawhauser. I'm Lily Wolfenstein. And, I need your help to fix time, end this nightmare, and change back the world to the way it belongs."


	24. Chapter 24

Whiplash

Chapter 24 "Sharks Don't Sleep: Part 2"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

 _Daniel stared at his writing assignment for class. The teacher had asked every student to draw a picture of their family and write about them. He had effortlessly drawn out a picture of his dad, himself, and Lily. It was a simple assignment. However, when it came to the writing, Daniel froze. The only thing he had written was, "This is my" and nothing else. He felt stuck. Lily had been there like a mother, but she never told that she was. His father introduced Lily as a friend. Daniel sighed as he thought about Lily. He missed her._

 _Daniel wanted a mother as long as he could remember. Seeing all his friends and their mothers made him feel what he could only describe as bad. It felt bad to not have a mother. Those in the know might describe this as a feeling of being incomplete. Daniel thought of his father. The wolf that had raised him since he was little was all by himself without Lily. He recognized that Lily was his dad's best friend. He remembered how his friends' parents would say you should marry your best friend. Lily made his dad happy. Seeing his dad happy made him happy. His dad was the world to him._

 _A loud noise alerted Daniel. It was from his dad's office. Carefully stepping down from his chair, Daniel tiptoed towards the sound. Staying close to the wall, he peeked around the corner. With one eye, he watched his father while keeping as quiet as possible._

" _What do you mean? I have been patient! For over a month, I've been patient!" Adam Wolff was on the phone. His grip tightened on a plastic pen that bent until it turned white in his grip. "You're telling me that in is all this time you've made no progress in finding her! I know the police are up to their necks in the NP attacks. The ZPD can't even spare two officers?!" Adam released the pen from his death grip and rested his head on the desk. "I know, I know it's bad. I'm a predator myself, I understand. We're all scared. No, I understand you guys don't want a repeat of the Night Howler incident." Adam sat up and grabbed at his raging headache. "Please. I don't know if I could ever forgive myself if something happened to her."_

 _Daniel stepped forward. "Daddy?"_

 _Adam covered the microphone of the phone. "Not now Daniel." Uncovering the phone, Adam spoke again. "Deputy Tigre, please. I'm begging you! Find her."_

 _Daniel stepped forward again. "Dad."_

" _What is it Daniel?!" Adam felt his heart break when he saw his son's reaction. The phone shook in his paw when he saw Daniel begin to cry. Without hesitation, Adam hung up the phone and opened his arms to his son. "Daniel I'm sorry, come here."_

 _Daniel rushed up to his father and jumped up into his arms. "I'm sorry daddy."_

 _Adam gently shushed his son. "Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you like that." He hugged his son tighter than he had ever hugged him before. The last thing he ever wanted was to hurt his son. "I'm just really tired right now."_

 _Daniel closed his eyes as he took comfort in his father's embrace. "You still looking for Lily?"_

" _Yes."_

 _Daniel's tears stopped and his breath steadied. "I miss her too." I calm silence comforted them both day time. "Maybe Whiplash will find her for us."_

 _Adam huffed a quiet laugh. "Maybe."_

" _Daddy?" Daniel prompted._

 _Adam stroked his son's head so as to comfort him. "Yes, Daniel?"_

" _Is Lily my mom?" Daniel lifted his head up to look at his father._

 _Adam looked into his son's eyes. A sense of power and determination filled every fiber of his being. "You will ask her, one day. When find her, you can ask her yourself. I promise I'll never stop looking for Lily, even if it kills me."_

Lily awoke from her dream in a cold sweat. Her breath was shaky as she sat up and looked around the grey room she felt trapped by. Though she could leave at any time, she would still be leaving into a nightmare of a world where the radical predators known as Novus Purificatio reigned supreme. Lily jumped a bit at the knock on her door. "Come in."

The steel door glowed for a moment before slowly creaking open. It was the Phoenix, her older self. With a wave of her paw and another strange pink glow, the door shut behind her. She had a knowing look that lingered. "You dreamt about them, didn't you."

Lily nodded. "Yeah. Is there a reason behind that?" Lily was in awe by the Phoenix's ability to know her thoughts among other things. But, this was a much older version of herself. In a world that mad little to no sense, she just decided to roll with it.

The Phoenix sat down in the chair across from Lily's bed. "Temporal Echoes. They're like dreams of the time line as it should have been. The change in the time line revolves around us. That's why we have the ability to see these dreams. Sometimes you'll be able to see glimpses into other animals' lives by merely touching them. What did you see, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I saw Daniel and Adam. They missed me. And, Adam was looking for me." Lily felt her spine tingle as Adam's words echoed in her mind. " _Even if it kills me._ That's what he said. He really meant it."

The Phoenix sighed. A sadness from an old scar seeped out. "Yes, he did. But, you can't dwell on this reality. You can still fix it."

Lily clasped her paws together. "I don't know anything about this reality."

"Of course you don't. This one has been vastly altered. Time has been altered through a spiderweb of changes that shaped this ultimate outcome."

"So, how can I fix it? Teach me about this world. I'm helpless if I don't know what I'm facing up against." Lily thought about Judy and Nick. Judy admitted to being an officer, but now she was leading what was left of the police. She caught onto that quickly as Judy was the acting general and how many of the rebels wore police issued riot armor and swat uniforms. Nick was what she didn't understand exactly. "I have questions."

"I have answers." The Phoenix steadied herself as she took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"

"What's the Post Office Batallion?" Lily remembered Nick and how he was a Captain in that group. "Nick briefly mentioned it."

"Ah yes, them. Nick is actually a newer recruit of that group. The Post Office Batallion actually began as an accident really. You actually met their founder, that tiger you met in the messhall. He calls himself Adam, though there's some debate as to what his real name was. He was barely nineteen when he was supposedly impressed into the NP's army. At first he was compliant because of the lies they spoke about unifying mammals. When he learned the terrible truth, he fled from their ranks. The tiger hid in a post office truck and disguised himself with the uniform of the dead mammal inside. He traveled between different settlements and lied about being a postal carrier for some new army that had the means to stand up to Novus Purificatio. It was just a story he told when mammals asked him about his apparel. But, the story spread, and other postal carriers started springing up. Settlements rallied together. Many postal carriers went on to join the ranks of Judy's army. Some still wear their post office caps. The postal carriers found Adam half dead from a mine he stepped on. It was a miracle that the tiger survived. His resilience inspired everyone. Taking charge of the postal carriers, he created a battalion to fight and also deliver messages between bases of operations. He was the one who found and convinced _our_ Adam, Whiplash, to join them in the fight. Nick joined sometime after that and rose through the ranks with how effective of a soldier he was. Adam, Adam, and Nick met with Judy and her subordinates to join forces against a common enemy. This union between forces nearly turned the tide of the war to the point where there were many NP's who defected to their side. But, everything changed when Whiplash died on the battlefield. Morale dropped, and the NP's have grown even more powerful than they were before." Before the Phoenix could say anything else, she was interrupted by a wretched scream that shook Lily to the core.

Lily stood up. "What was that?"

The Phoenix stood up with Lily and . "Soldier forty two. General Hopps keeps her for her brother's sake. She's a NP soldier they captured in the battle of Bunny Hill."

Lily couldn't shake this ever growing feeling of helplessness. It preyed on her mind. She didn't know what she was doing, she was out of her element, and the only instinct left that could be discerned was the will to survive. However, that will was marred by the death of Adam and Daniel's hatred. And yet, here was her older self who told her she had the chance to fix this world. Lily couldn't see why she was important. Her older self apparently failed at fixing things, so why was she gonna be any different. Then it came to her. The glasses. Her glasses weren't broken. This was her, but it was a different her. Perhaps there was something she knew that the Phoenix didn't. "So, what now?"

"I don't know. That's why I commissioned Captain Wilde to find you. I've reached a dead end." The Phoenix waved her hand over the door and opened it. "Though we might be the same animal, we are not the same person. I'll admit that in my youth, I was much sharper than I am now. That's why I knew you of all animals could succeed where I simply could not."

Lily raised her brow. "There's something you're not telling me."

"But of course, you can't tell yourself too much about your own future."

Lily observed the Phoenix's gesture of welcoming herself out into the hall. They had to begin somewhere. Soldier forty two stood out in Lily's mind. Maybe she could get something from her, she thought. "Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere." The Phoenix laughed.

Lily held back as much frustration as she could before asking, "What, why?"

"Lily Clawhauser, you have your own destiny to set. You've relied on your cousin, your friends, and Adam. This is something you must do for yourself. You are not some worthless character in the narration of this life. I know think that now, but you are more than that. This is where your path begins." The Phoenix leaned forward and embraced Lily. "Good luck."

Lily looked at the door and back to the Phoenix. "I don't suppose you'll teach me how to use that magic you seem to have."

"You'll understand it in due time. But for now, trust your gut instincts."

Lily eventually found herself waiting outside General Hopps' office. When she finally came up with the courage to walk into the office, she froze when the door burst open. A figure bumped her. In that moment, there was a flash in her eyes.

 _A rabbit and a bobcat walked down the bustling city streets of Zootopia. The rabbit stops the bobcat and asks her to look into the shop window. "What do you think of that one, honey?"_

 _The bobcat smiled at the blue dress. "It's beautiful."_

 _The rabbit lead the bobcat inside to try on the dress. He was surprised when the bobcat came back with out the dress. "Where's the dress? Didn't you like it?"_

" _I do, but we can't afford it." The bobcat brushed her paw across the rabbit's ears._

 _The rabbit sighed as they left the shop. "I'm sorry I'm not rich."_

" _Hey, don't be like that. As long as we're together, it doesn't matter how wealthy we are."_

Lily watched as an angry rabbit, not Judy, stormed off down the hall. "Come in Lily." She almost didn't take Judy's invitation because of what she had just witnessed.

"Who was the rabbit that just left your office?" Lily asked.

Judy, who looked worse for wear, grabbed at her ears. "That was my brother, Jacob."

Lily entered Judy's office and closed the door behind her. "What did he want?"

Judy shook her head in dismay. "He wants me to keep soldier forty two, but we can't keep her much longer. She's proven more dangerous than she's worth."

Lily remembered the vision she had in the hallway. She had a hunch as to why Jacob, Judy's brother, valued this soldier's life. "Who _was_ soldier forty two?"

Judy picked up a file and slapped it on her desk. "Theodosia Pawter was an NP spy from the very beginning, and she was my brother's fiance. He seems convinced that she would never have done all that she has done. Jacob is under the impression that she was brainwashed. That's why I'm under the impression that my brother's creative imagination is getting the better of him."

Something was off to Lily. It didn't add up. In the vision she had in the hallway, she saw what looked like a perfectly happy couple. "What if you brother is right?"

Judy stared at Lily incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"I am. And, I want to meet with some of your scientists to test Jacob's theory about soldier forty two." Lily waited for Judy's response.

Judy picked up a phone and entered a line. "Q I need you and a few of your guys to meet up with Lily at soldier forty two's pen." The voice at the other end was faint but audible. "I don't know, wear body armor for all I care." Judy slammed the phone down. "Okay. The Phoenix told me to trust you. You gotta earn my trust. I'll give you forty eight hours to figure out if Theo is somehow being influenced. I don't think you'll find anything, but I'm giving my brother's theory the benefit of the doubt, because he's my brother."

The pen that housed soldier forty two was nothing like Lily expected. She imagined a cage, or a jail cell. But this, this was arguably more creepy. Soldier forty two, Theo, was restrained by a straight jacket and chains that anchored her to the center of the floor. The room was white and padded. There was no visible air vents except for a few pipes that protruded from one corner of the ceiling. The door had magnetic locks and a safe-like latch that could only be opened by a large animal. The extreme precautions were an overwhelming sight for Lily. It was almost hard to comprehend why all this was needed for such a small bobcat. "Isn't this a little much?" Lily directed her question down to a quoll that had rolled up beside her in a wheelchair.

The quoll's pant legs were tied up where his legs used to be. "She's a spy, and a good one at that. Last week she killed one of our guards with the spoon that came with her supper. So let me get this straight, you were preserved in a virtual reality pod since before the war?"

Lily crossed her arms as she leaned in to look at Theo. "Mister Q, we should be focusing on figuring out whether soldier forty two is under the influence of mind control." Lily closed her eyes and shook her head when she realized how ridiculous that sounded.

Q chuckled to himself. "Virtual reality, mind control. What next, an android playing detective? Sounds like one of those video games we used to play before the war. Anyway, mind control. This is a little out of my league. I mean the brain is not a simple thing that can be hacked."

"I agree." Q and Lily turned to see Judy as she approached them. "But, it may not entirely be impossible."

Q was perplexed by this revelation. He noted how Judy spoke of it. "You've seen something like this before, haven't you?"

Judy recalled those old memories from before the war when she was just a lone officer. "Yes, a long time ago, I had a run in with a boar who was armed to the teeth in explosives. Only, he wasn't acting by his own accord. There was a crude device that was attached to his head."

This account from Judy jogged Lily's memory. "The incident with that TNT guy, wasn't the Raven also sighted that day?"

"The leader of the NP's? Yes. Why?" Judy found herself intrigued by what Lily was getting at.

Lily put the pieces together in her mind. "What if TNT was just a test, a proof of concept?"

Judy furrowed her brows. "A proof of concept? For what?"

Lily gestured to Theo. "An army that could be controlled with their free wills stripped from them."

"Woah!" Q made a time out gesture with his paws. "Isn't that sorta jumping the shark a little too soon. We've just established that mind control is possible, very unlikely, but possible. And, you're already proposing that the Raven's army is a mass of mind controlled zombies?"

"I know it sounds crazy. Before I was even here, the idea of this war being fought with plasma guns, digging machines, and mind control would have seem crazy to me too. But, think about it." Lily looked at Judy. "The moment some of the NP's defected to your side, what happened?"

Judy's eyes went wide. A sickness overtook her expressions. "They suddenly overpowered us. It was out of nowhere. Without explanation. The NP's just marched over us."

Q jumped on the band wagon now. "And having lost a great many of their comrades, you'd think that might be morally crippling. I have heard stories from returning soldiers that they swore some of the NP's would keep fighting, even after losing an arm or a limb. Oh boy, this is some real H.G. Wallaby stuff right here." The quoll looked over to one of his assistants, a grey eyed white stag. "John, do we still have that EMP blaster from the Edwards Detachment mission?"

"Yes sir. I think I can rig it up for what you're thinking sir." With that the stag took off down the hall."

"Good lad!" Q shouted called out.

When the stag came back, he was carrying a decently sized pistol of sorts that had a dish on the front. Several circuits and wires were exposed, held together by zipties and duct tape. Lily looked curiously at the device as Q fiddled with it. "What exactly is that."

Q smiled with delight. "This little beauty creates an electromagnetic pulse that can disrupt just about any electrical device. We used it to disrupt an NP radio tower and, miraculously, a tank's targeting systems. I've adjusted the magnitude of the pulse. EMP can be fatal or damaging to animals, so I've toned it down enough that it should be safe for the brain. I figure mind control must be a difficult feat. Such a feat would require special instruments that would be sensitive to this blaster." Q held the gun up to Judy. "General, would you like to do the honors?"

Judy grabbed a hold of the blaster. Looking up ad the rhino that guarded the door, she ordered, "Open the pen."

The rhino obeyed and swung open the latch. After typing in a pass code into the keypad, the magnetic locks disengaged. The rhino gingerly pulled the heavy door open to release a plume of stale air that flooded out of the pen. Judy, Lily, Q, and a few guards stepped into the pen. Theo's head shot up and glared at the trespassers to her prison.

Judy readied the blaster by switching on the charging capacitors. "Do you know who you are?"

Theo straightened her neck and squared up her shoulders. "I am Soldier Forty Two, of the Second Regiment of Novus Purificatio."

Q tugged on Lily's pant leg to get her attention. "Every time you ask her that, she responds the same. We never got information out of her."

Judy sighed in anger. "Theodosia Pawter, do you know who you are?"

Theo repeated herself. "I am Soldier Forty Two, of the Second Regiment of Novus Purificatio."

Judy shook her head. "I hope this works." She raised the EMP blaster towards Theo's head.

Quickly analyzing the blaster, Theo let out a piercing scream before yelling, "Help me!"

"Did you do it?" Q asked.

"No!" Judy stood dumbfounded by this response. "I haven't even pulled the trigger yet."

"Then why-," before Lily could finish that sentence she turned to clear yelling that echoed through the entrance to the pen. Acting quickly, she jumped low in front of the door to tackle back a sprinting rabbit.

"Stop! Don't do it Judy! Please!" Jacob shouted at the top of his lungs as Lily wrangled him in her arms.

Lily shouted at Judy. "Do it! Shoot her now!"

Jacob felt his heart stop as his sister raised the blaster to Theo's head. He didn't know they were trying to save her. He believed they were trying to kill the only animal he had ever loved. "No!" Jacob elbowed Lily in the face and escaped her hold. Jumping with all his might, he tackled Judy to the floor.

When Lily recovered, she was alerted by a metal snap. She saw a devilish smile on Theo's face. "Look out!"

The chains that held Theo collapsed as they fell from her body. Throwing Jacob across the room, she turned her attention to Judy. Bringing out her claws, Theo lunged for Judy's throat.

Lily whipped out her revolver and slammed down on the trigger. The plasma that escaped the barrel hit its mark on Theo's shoulder. Lily aimed to incapacitate, not kill.

As Theo missed and slammed into the ballistic glass, Judy took the opportunity to retrieve the EMP blaster.

Seeing that Judy needed more time, Lily shot Theo's other shoulder. "Now, Judy!"

Judy swung around yanked on the trigger. The blaster emitted a ringing sound that stabbed the ears of every animal in the room. The guards and Lily kept their guns aimed at Theo. As the ringing subsided, everyone waited for the worst. But, the worst never came, and the ringing was eventually lost in the sound of silence.

Theo lifted her head up. This slight movement caused the guards to ready their weapons. "Wait," Judy raised a paw to stop them, "hold you fire."

Jacob steadied himself against the padded wall. "Theodosia?"

Theo's eyes were suddenly bloodshot as they welled up with tears that seemed to never end. Her face contorted as she shook her head. "What have I done?" She looked up at Jacob. "I'm sorry." Letting her body collapse onto the floor, she began to cry hysterically. "I'm so sorry!"

Judy watched as her brother rushed to Theo's side and held her the best he could. She watched as Jacob peppered Theo with hushed word of comfort and gently kisses. Theo was free. Judy turned to Q. "How many of these EMP blasters can you make?"

Q smiled at Judy. "General, as many as you want."

Hours later, Lily sat in the mess hall. She finally had the stomach to eat. Although, she wasn't sure what she was eating. There was this package labeled as a protein block. It did taste like cardboard, but there was a subtle nutty flavor that made it bearable. She had a little trouble finding the beans in the greyish brown mess that clung to her spoon like glue. And this thing they called hard tack, it looked like a biscuit, lived up to its name. It was hard as a rock and could only be eaten when soaked in a hot drink. The drink was probably the most satisfying aspect of Lily's meal. At least, _she_ enjoyed it. They handed out tin mugs with hot water, and there was an assortment of flavoring packets. The packet Lily picked up was lemonade. Lily was amused by how good it actually was.

"Hot lemonade." Lily recognized the voice of Adam the tiger. "Glad I'm not the only one who drinks it."

Lily looked up at Adam who was drinking the same thing from a blue metal cup with a carabiner attached to the handle. "The Post Mammal returns."

"Ah geez, you heard that story?" Adam shook his head and laughed.

Lily gestured for him to sit down. He complied and sat down across from her with his drink in paw. "I heard the tale of an animal who unified animals to fight a common enemy. You're a hero to many."

Adam hummed as he stared into his cup. "Fame isn't all it's cut out to be. I didn't really do anything. I was just saving my hide by playing dressup. It was these mammals who really did it. Now I just tell them to follow General Hopps' orders. I relay those orders and give Hopps the information I get from my end. But, that's about it. Now Whiplash, he was more of a hero than I ever was. Although, I envy _you_ the most."

Lily was taken aback by that. "Me? Why? What did I do?"

Adam gestured behind her. "That." Lily turned and saw Jacob wrapping Theo in a blanket while he readied food for her. A few other soldiers tipped their hats as a welcome to Theo, regardless of the few others who remained skeptical. Adam gave a wave to Jacob and Theo. "You fixed what was broken. Something so small that many overlook. I was the runt of my family, the youngest and smallest of three. I felt so dwarfed by brother, the musical genius, and my sister, miss popular. I grew up with my books, a bike, and longing for adventure. I never accomplished much. That's probably because I never believed I could amount to anything. Then this war happened. My mom died in a blast. I never knew what happened to by brother and sister. And I lost my dad when he defended me from some thugs who were trying to rob us of our water."

Lily found it strange that Adam was so similar to _her_ Adam. Though, hers was an introvert while this Adam was clearly an extrovert. "You remind me of Whiplash a little."

"Really?" Adam laughed. "We even got the same name. Weird, isn't it? Coincidence or fate? Who knows." Finishing the last of his hot lemonade, he wiped it out with a napkin and hooked it back onto his belt. "He saved my life once. Whiplash saved me and all my friends. We were just kids in the wrong place at the wrong time. A stick of dynamite came flying at us, and he shielded us from it." he laughed at the memory. "We saluted him like soldiers." A sadness came over his face with a shaken breath. "If he hadn't saved me, I probably wouldn't have ever stumbled across that postal uniform and brought everyone together like this to join Hopps and fight for freedom. That was the kind of hero I always wished I could be. You never know what can come of those little acts. Unifying people? Whatever. Saving the kid that would one day unify them?"

Lily smiled at that. "Who knows. Maybe one day you'll be that hero. Maybe you save someone on the battlefield who ends up being a doctor that cures cancer someday."

Adam smiled this almost wiley smile that was mismatched with the sparkle in his eye. "That, would be great."

Lily watched as a gazelle with a ginger mane walked up behind Adam and wrapped her arms around him. "Adam, why were you gone from bed this morning?"

"Sorry Elizabeth, General Hopps wanted to discuss a new plan of action." Adam held her hand in his paw as he turned to kiss her cheek.

"Okay." Elizabeth looked at Lily. "Who's this."

Adam smiled as he pulled out a blue postal cap and handed it to Lily. "A new recruit. She's got great potential." He winked at Lily with a kind smile as he stood up. "Gotta go rookie, family calls."

Lily rolled her eyes as Adam turned to hug his wife before starting to walk off. A little lamb came running up to the tiger. "Daddy! Daddy!" Lily laughed as the little lamb jumped up into her father's arms.

"Zira!" Adam spun in a circle after catching his daughter. "Have you been a good girl this morning?"

Lily took a break from the spectacle of this loving family to look at the cap she had been given. It was an old letter carrier hat. It would have been an antique befor this war. She brushed over the brass badge with the eagle emblem. It was inscribed with words. "Zootopia Post Office." In the center there was a three digit number, 112. Lily set up on her head. She hummed at the fact that it fit nicely.

"You think just because you _fixed_ soldier forty two that we should just trust you all of a sudden." The cruel words that were spoken had an unmistakable voice.

Lily turned to face him. "Daniel. I'm sorry about Sara."

"Sure you are." Daniel scoffed at her. "I bet you're _here to help_ just like that Phoenix."

Lily stood up and faced him. Though he was a head taller, she stood her ground. "I am here to help. I'm here to fix things."

"Then fix Sara. Oh wait, you can't, because she's dead now. You're just doing a fine job aren't you!"

As soon as Daniel raised his voice, Adam stepped in. "Daniel don't do this!"

Lily raised her paw, signaling to adam that she was ready to handle this. "You don't even know who I am. You have know idea how _far_ I've come."

"I don't know you." Daniel almost hissed those words as he turned to walk away.

All Lily could picture was the young Daniel she knew, alone and afraid. "It's me! It's Lily! I was the one your father was looking for. I'm back." The whole mess hall went dead quiet. Every animal in the vicinity either had dropped jaws or wide eyes.

Daniel stopped in his tracks. "No, Lily's dead."

"No, Daniel. I was kidnapped." Lily stepped closer to Daniel. "I was taken somehow by someone before I had the chance to tell you."

Daniel turned just to look over his shoulder. "Tell me what?"

Lily lifted up her paw to show Daniel the engagement ring. "He proposed. All those years ago. You father asked me to be his wife. I was supposed to be you mother."

Daniel faced Lily. His knees weakened at this revelation. Tears welled up in his eyes. His tears soon turned, however, to tears of hate. "It really is your fault."

Lily blinked. Her hopes to reach out to Daniel had suddenly been squashed. "What?"

Rage filled every word that poured from Daniel's mouth. "He wasted his life away because of you. He died because of you. Sara is dead because of you! You killed the only family I've ever known!"

"Daniel, please." Lily reached for Daniel's arm, but he yanked himself away.

"Don't touch me!" Daniel shouted. "You're not my mother, and you never will be."

Captain Nick Wilde stepped in. "Lieutenant Wolfenstein! Back to your rounds. Did you hear me? I said, back to your rounds. That's an order. Comply or so help me I will find a taming collar for you that works."

Daniel looked back and forth between Lily and Nick. "Yes sir." Obeying his captain's orders, Daniel marched off.

Nick groaned as he looked sideways up at Lily. "Honey and the General were right. If it's anyone's fault it's mine." Nick nodded to Adam and a few other soldiers before limping away, his leg brace creaking with each step.

Adam handed his daughter to his wife. "It can't be."

"What?" Lily felt the multitude of eyes that watched her.

Adam took off his cap and covered his heart. Many other animals who wore the same caps stood up and followed his example. "Whiplash, Adam, spoke often of you. He told many about how he longed to find you, how he knew you were alive somewhere. Now you're here, among us."

Lily looked at the smiling faces that stood in awe and adoration to see the hope that had carried one of their leaders through this battle torn world. "I don't know what to say."

"Where have you been?" A voice called from the back.

"I can't rightly say where I've been. I know that I was trapped in a false reality. I had been deceived. I _was_ kidnapped." Lily caught the gaze of several soldiers who listened earnestly with bated breath. "But, I have returned. To fight. I am no leader. That is why I find myself at a loss for words when I see all of you look at me like you're expecting me to be some angel that Whiplash prophesied about. But when you look at me, I can see what the hope that he created. If the wolf I love left behind a legacy of hope, then I'd like to keep that tradition. The world was never meant to be broken as it has. We know who our enemy is. The Raven is our enemy. He lead his armies down this path of destruction. I'm here to help you end his reign of terror in any way I can. I will fight with you. If I need to, I will die with you. I will fight for your freedom, to avenge those we have lost, and end this war. And from the ashes of this apocalypse as it would seem, you will rebuild the world. I will fight with you to secure a new future for your families." Lily felt her soul take flight in the moment. She watched as soldiers and post mammals alike, began to salute her.

As the hours passed, soldiers came and left. She conversed with several and told tales about how she had met Whiplash, how he saved her, and how she loved him. She took delight in embellishing the stories to make the younger soldiers enjoy it better. Very few tested the inconsistencies between her version and Whiplash's version of the truth. In the end, they all accepted it as her side of the story. Whenever Lily was asked if the story was true, she would invariably tell them yes. Because in the end, all stories come from something true. Sometimes they come from dreams, and sometimes a story comes from the experiences we've forgotten.

After a bell rang, all soldiers reported to their stations and left Lily alone in the mess hall with her thoughts. She thought about where she actually came from. She never got a good look at what it was that she fell out of when she escaped that virtual world. She pondered on the implications of this alternate reality she had witnessed. How much of it was a lie, and how much of it was true? She remembered how the reality changed when she woke up with that other snow leopard. It was rushed, as if it was a poorly made construct that was missing parts. That's the only reason she caught on to its falsehood. Lily couldn't figure out why it was constructed in the first place. What was its purpose. It was like it was trying to persuade her and hush out the notion of her Adam. Lily recalled out it was Captain Wilde and Sara who had saved her. From who? It was obvious. She had been in the hands of Novus Purificatio. They must have been the ones who changed time. She recalled what the Phoenix had told her about the spiderweb of changes that had been made. Lily was in the middle of that web.

Lily's thoughts were interrupted by a loud surging sound that suddenly caused the lights to shut off. For a moment, Lily was shrouded in pitch black darkness. A loud click was followed by the emergency lights that flooded the walls with yellow. Lily stood up when she heard yelling. Nick came running with the Phoenix and Judy. "What is it?" The red alert lights spun into action.

"They found us." Judy motioned Lily to follow her. "To the Moles, now!"

They hustled through the metal halls until a sudden explosion sent them flying. Once the dust cleared up Nick shouted, "They're here!"

Novus Purificatio soldiers began to bleed through the walls as they fired their weapons relentlessly.

Lily tugged on the Phoenix who was reluctant to get up. She had been hit. Pulling her arm over her shoulder, Lily acted as a crutch for her older self who kept a tight paw on her side.

Soldiers clashed like firing squads executing each other while many tried desperately to escape the figurative sinking ship as their base was overrun by enemy soldiers. Grenades threw shrapnel in every direction. Many died protecting children and families as they fled to the digging machines to escape.

Lily hoped that the shooting would end once they reached the cavern where the moles were. If anything, it was worse. She watched as a family ran into a mole, but with no one to operate it and take them to safety, three NP's opened fire on them.

Nick picked up a dead soldier's plasma gun and fired three direct shots at the NP's that Lily saw. "This is bad!" Nick saw the mole they were after. "Honey! Get her started!"

Lily felt the Phoenix get heavier. "Come on! We're almost there." Lily pushed the Phoenix to keep going until they finally made it to the mole. Quickly getting her strapped into a seat, she turned back to look out at the ensuing battle in the cavern. "Captain. Cover me!"

Nick stared, dumbfounded at Lily. "Where are you going?" He didn't have time to face palm as bright flashes of plasma ricocheted off of the mole. Taking a knee he provided Lily with cover.

Lily dodged left and right as she fired off shots with her plasma revolver. She had her target in sight. "Daniel!"

Daniel was unconscious. One antler was completely missing while the other had snapped in half. There were burn marks up his upper leg along his side and by his neck.

Lily tried shaking him awake, but to no avail. Looking up she saw the familiar face of the red wolf whose revolver she carried. "Sara?" The red wolf stared blankly at Lily with her gun still pointed at Daniel. Lily felt her adrenaline kick in as she lifted him up over her shoulder and went into a full sprint. She was surprised that Sara didn't stop them, given the control band around her head.

Nick shook his head as he kept providing Lily with cover fire. "First she was sleeping beauty, and now she's Wonder Cat. Go figure." He saw the NP's getting closer. He spotted someone he never thought he would see this close. "Crap, it's the Raven. Lily! Get in here now!"

Pushing her limits, she cried out as she muscled through the rest of the distance before collapsing with Daniel in the mole. The hatch shot closed behind them as Honey shoved down on the throttle. The mole sped forward into the escape tunnel which collapsed behind them as they went.

"Captain! Where's the first aid kit?" Lily looked over Daniel's body and used his clothes to initially stop any bleeding.

Nick retrieved two red plastic boxes from under the seats and opened them up for Lily. "Dang it, Daniel." He watched as Lily patched up Daniel to the best of her abilities. "Where'd you learn to do this?"

Lily was barely paying attention to Nick as she sanitized each burn wound before applying ointment and bandages. "I used to work in a garage. Injuries weren't uncommon."

"I've finished patching up the Phoenix, but I don't know if she'll fare as well as Daniel." Judy finished wrapping up her first aid kit as she guided the Phoenix to a seat.

Lily leaned against the wall as she desperately tried to use a towelette to wipe Daniel's blood from her paws. "Sara's alive. They're controlling her. That's how they found our headquarters."

"That's bad." Nick clenched his eyes shut. "Oh, this is bad. This is really bad."

Judy's eyes became droopy. "Our security has been compromised-." She slowly fell to the floor and collapsed. A piece of shrapnel stuck out of her back.

"Carrots!" Nick rushed to her side. "What do we do?"

Lily examined Judy. "She's been losing blood. We need to stop the bleeding."

Nick stripped off his own shirt to use. "Do we take it out?" He started placing his shirt around the vertical piece of shrapnel.

"Lily looked through the first aid box and pulled out a device labeled as an x-Ray scanner. She turned it on and brought it over to Judy. "It's deep, and it's fish hooked into her. We're going to have to push it through her front."

"What?!" Nick exclaimed as he jetted his eyes between Judy and Lily. "Are you crazy?"

Lily puckered her face in anger as she slapped Nick across the face. "Captain! Do you want the General to die?!"

"No!"

Lily rolled Judy to her side. "It hasn't hit any major organs. It's angled. So if we push it through, it'll come out right above her belly." She tore open Judy's shirt and exposed her front. This caused Nick to look away a bit. "Ready?"

Nick shakily nodded with his head turned away. "Do it."

Lily wrapped part of Nick's shirt around the metal sliver. With all her might, she pushed it through.

Judy woke up with a scream. Lily quickly yanked the shrapnel from her front and tossed it aside. "Nick, hold her!"

Nick complied by resting Judy's head and shoulders up onto his lap. He held her right arm and removed the mechanical one so that she couldn't flail it about.

Lily pressed Nick's shirt against Judy's back. She stitched up the hole which was maybe an inch below her sternum. After patching that. She rolled her over and stitched up the back wound. Finishing up, Lily wrapped Judy's torso to prevent the bandages from falling off as it was hard for bandages to stick to fur that well. "The bleeding stopped." Lily sat back and took a breather from the situation. Back at the garage, the worst injury was when Reina had slipped and sliced her leg.

Nick fondled Judy's ears as he cradled her. "Dumb bunny." He was glad Judy had no energy left to smack him. "Honey?"

Honey had been veering back and forth with the mole to avoid boulders and heavy rocks that showed up on her scanner. "Yes sir? Are we going to the safe house sir?"

"Nowhere is safe anymore." Nick threw his cap to floor in anger. "Wilde Times it is."

"Aye aye, captain." Honey set a course for their destination.

After Nick and Lily strapped every passenger into their seats, they did so for themselves as well to get ready for the ascent. The mole's climb was long. Nearly three hours passed before jerked forward, signaling that they had breached the surface.

"We're here." Honey unbuckled her harness and left the driver seat. Opening the hatch, she peeked out to look around.

Nick assisted Lily with lowering Daniel and the Phoenix out of their seats and onto blankets they had rolled out on the floor. "See anything out there?" Nick kept his voice at a whisper.

"It's just dark. Wait, I think I see something." There was a moment of silence before a bright flash ricocheted near Honey's head. She fumbled back into the mole as fast as she could and pressed herself against the wall.

Nick grabbed his rifle and crept along the wall on the other side of the hatch. "Thunder!"

There was a long silence until a distant voice yelled back, "Flash!"

Nick smiled. "It's one of ours. Lily, come with me. Honey, make sure they're safe."

Lily followed Nick into the open. Moonlight made some of their surroundings visible. There were roller coasters and carnival attractions that were scattered here and there. Lily realized that they were inside a building when she looked up and saw that the moonlight was shining through glass windows. A faded banner caught her attention. " _Wilde Times_? What is this place?"

Nick smiled at what he remembered as his little kingdom. "This is the Wilde Times safe house. Before it was a safe house, it was my failed attempt at an amusement park. I was much younger and ambitious. It was supposed to be a place where predators could just come and be themselves, free from the judging eyes of prey." Nick pulled a flashlight at the sound of footsteps. "Adam, was that you firing at us?"

The tiger leaned his scoped plasma rifle against his shoulder with pride. "You're lucky I wasn't aiming to kill ya."

Q was perched on Adam's shoulder. "I concur with Adam. I've seen him shoot the tails off of animals at nine hundred yards."

Lily was glad to see friendly faces. "How many made it out?"

"Most of the families made it safely. Half of our forces were lost though. We're the only others here at this safe house." Adam looked at Nick. "Captain, where's your shirt?"

Nick laughed. "Its services were needed by the General. She was injured."

Adam laughed. "I see. It's funny how you always manage to lose your shirt, around the General."

Nick crossed his arms. "Shut up about that. Now help us set up a few beds. The General isn't the only one injured."

Gathering materials that were readily found around the trampoline zone of Wilde Times, they set up a makeshift infirmary in the office adjacent to the ferris wheel. After dusting off curtain fragments, they draped them over foam pads they had taken from the trampoline dividers. They finished the beds off by laying down the spare bed rolls that were stored in the moles. A couple other soldiers attended to the Phoenix. Adam assisted Lily with Daniel.

Nick assured them that he could carry Judy himself. "You're a lot heavier than I expected." He carried her about halfway to eventual resting spot before his leg brace gave way and he fell to his knee. Tensing up and reacting fast, he made sure that he didn't drop Judy. The sudden movement caused her to stir. Determined, Nick forced his injured knee to cooperate. Slowly he sprung back up until the brace clicked back into place and locked up. He made do with it and walked on. Finally reaching his destination, he laid Judy down on the makeshift bed. Off to the side, Lily had fallen asleep sitting by Daniel's side while the Phoenix was still.

"Nick?" Judy weakly asked as she clung at the sheets in pain.

Nick grabbed her paw. "Hey there. You're gonna be okay. You ain't dying on me that fast you dumb bunny."

Judy had to restrain herself from laughing as it brought more pain. "You know you love me."

A sad look overtook Nick's face. "Yeah, I do."

The smile fell from her face. "No. Nick we talked about this."

"I know." Nick sighed. "You said it would never work between us." Nick's grip on Judy's paw loosened. A strange hollowness filled his eyes.

Judy looked concerned as he turned away. "How did you ever think it could work?"

Nick looked back to her. "You're the only person that ever got to me."

"I thought animals never got to you." Judy felt cold as Nick let go of her paw and stood up.

"You did." Walking over to Lily, Nick ignored the coarse call of Judy who eventually gave up trying to reach him. Leaning against the wall near Lily, Nick nudged her awake. "Hey, kid."

Lily bobbed her head a bit before yawning. "Hey, how's the General?"

"The same." Nick smiled sadly.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." She looked down at Daniel to make sure he was asleep. When Lily confirmed that he was, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Sara's alive."

Nick's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I saw her. She was being controlled. That's how they found us. They used her to find out where we were." Lily looked down at Daniel.

"No." Nick shook his head as he shook a finger. "I know what you're thinking, it's not happening."

"What? You don't even know what I was thinking." Lily knew he did in fact know what she was thinking.

"You wanna hatch some crazy rescue mission, well you can't. We don't have enough troops, and we don't have an advantage. You don't even know where they came from or where they went." Nick looked in a sack of scrap parts that sat next to him. They were familiar parts he had tinkered with many years ago. They were scrap and replacement parts for the animatronics show. Sure enough, at the bottom, he found an arm that belonged to the oversized rat animatronic. It was still smaller than his arm, and the faux fur had rotted away. He pulled the wire tendons to make the fingers close and open. It gave him an idea.

"What about Q? Couldn't he give us information? Maybe he brought some of those blasters with him. Wouldn't that be an advantage?" Lily looked with pleading eyes at Nick. "Please."

Nick grumbled to himself. "You're as optimistic as the General." He stood up and hung the animatronic arm over his shoulder. "Okay, I'll talk to Q." Nick was surprised when Lily hugged him from behind. "Yeah, yeah." After Lily let go, he hiked a couple hundred feet over to where Adam and the rest of the handful of soldiers in his group had set up their armory and base of operations.

"Hey Nicky, how are the injured doing?" Adam was glancing through documents and other reports that had been recovered before the evacuation.

"Good." Nick couldn't get the conversation with Judy out of his mind.

"You seem shaken, Nick." Adam observed. "But, I don't think it's because of Judy."

Nick remembered why he was deeply afraid. Judy could have been killed, but she wasn't. The real pain on his mind was darker. "He was there, Adam. The Raven, he was there."

Adam froze. Fear swept across his face. "The Raven was actually there? In person? What did he look like?"

Nick remembered all too well. "His face was covered, but he was dressed completely in black. Honestly he's a lot smaller than I expected. He can't be that much taller than me. On top of the fact that he's shown up like this, he's also got Sara."

Adam set down his papers. "Sara's alive?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, they're controlling her. That's how they found us. And now Lily wants to run some suicide mission to rescue her. It's crazy!"

Q came rolling around in a new makeshift wheelchair. "Did someone say crazy?"

"Q, do you have any of those EMP blasters?" Nick asked.

Q clasped his paws together. "We managed to save the six we made and the original. Why do you ask?"

Adam hummed to himself. "Time to plan a rescue mission."

Nick looked at the tiger incredulously. "You can't be serious! Sure we got the blasters, but we don't even know where they went."

"We know where they came from." Adam pointed out two locations on a map he pulled from under the documents he went through. "Here. This is the closest NP base. It would make sense if they came from here before they made their attack. It's also likely to be the first place they return to."

Nick shook his head. "You're working with nothing! Lily's obsessed with trying to fix a broken relationship with a son who doesn't even care about her."

"It's a start, Captain!" Adam slammed the table. "There's a chance. Do you know why I decided to actually lead the Post Office Battalion? Because there was a chance! And, that's all we need." He sat down and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a photograph that had been tucked behind a green handkerchief. The picture was of a much younger Adam. Another tiger stood by his side with a fishing pole. "My dad was a good tiger, though he didn't understand me all time. He taught me to take risks." He looked over to Nick. "If you didn't take a risk, you would never have ended up a captain. You would never have met Judy, and you'd still be running from NP's. I recruited you because I saw potential. You're older than me, Nick. I brought you into our ranks because you have experience, but you also have room to grow."

Nick removed his cap and bowed his head. "I'm sorry Admiral."

"It's okay Nick. I'm just as scared as you are, but fear keep you sharp. Just don't let it take advantage of you." Adam pat Nick on the back. "Also, you should take Lily a little more serious now with her proposals. She _is_ a fellow Captain now." With that, Adam walked off with a whistle.

Nick furrowed his brow. "Captain? You made her a Captain?" A smile eventually broke his face. He couldn't stay mad at the Admiral. The tricks up the tiger's sleeve were dusty from how long he'd been keeping them there. It was always like he knew something that no one else did.

Q yanked on Nick's pant leg. "Hope you don't mind me asking, but what's with the arm?"

Nick almost forgot he'd been carrying it. "I have a special mission for you." He lowered the arm to Q. "Do you think you can retrofit this arm with the General's old prosthetic?"

Q examined it. After a hum to himself, he nodded. "It shouldn't be two hard. It actually looks more proportionally accurate to the General's size."

"That's the point. As soon as you finish, let me know." Nick walked over to the rack of EMP blasters and picked up two.

Lily was replacing Daniel's bandages when Nick returned. "What did Adam say?"

Nick gently set one of the blasters by Lily's side and clipped the other one into his harness. "It would seem that we're going on a mission, Captain." He smirked before walking off into the black darkness that shrouded his broken kingdom.

Lily laughed a bit as she watched the old fox venture out to explore the past. Returning to Daniel's bandages, she took special care to clean each wound to make sure they didn't get infected. "There. All done." Lily watched Daniel sleep for a moment. In that moment, she could almost see the six-year-old stag that had won over her maternal affections. "I'll make things right. I promise." Standing up, she draped a blanket over his body and made sure that he would be able to sleep comfortably. Her attention was then drawn to the Phoenix, her older self. She remembered what she had said about temporal dreams. Lily's curiosity taunted her. She slinked over to the Phoenix's bedside. Slowly she reached down and grabbed her own wrist.

 _Lily kept looking at her engagement ring as she packed her bags. She was ready to move in with Adam and her soon to be son. She knew she would still be staying in the guest room until they were actually married, but that was fine with her. Her Adam was always that way. She still tried playing that scenario in her mind. How was she going to tell Daniel. She wasn't sure how exactly to tell the six-year-old that she was going to be his mother. As she was going through her room in her cousin's apartment, she noticed her crutches that were wrapped in the pink duct tape Adam had given her. Lily picked up the crutches and looked at them. They were a cold reminder of her old life._

 _A strange sound alerted Lily. She set the crutches aside and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Without warning, the window shattered and a hurling mass knocked Lily to the floor. It was a wolverine dressed in black. She hardly had time to react before he had her in a headlock, covering her mouth with a strange white cloth that made her feel drowsy._

Lily let go of the Phoenix's wrist. "So that's how it happened." She grabbed the Phoenix's wrist again.

 _A strange echo filled the air. Lily blinked her eyes open. She could see soldiers marching past her, a strange machine that glowed red hummed by her side. When all her senses came to her she realized that tubes were being fed into her mouth. She tried to scream, but her attempts were halted by the breathing tube. Lily could see one of the tubes sending nutrients directly into her body. She wanted to get up and yank it out, but her arms and legs were restrained by thick straps. She couldn't move at all._

 _A dark figure flew in on wings that disappeared upon the moment of landing. "Lily, how nice of you to join us. Don't mind the breathing and nutrition apparatus. It's necessary to your preservation."_

 _Lily tried to speak, but she couldn't with the apparatus._

" _No, hush now. You don't need to worry. The Raven is here. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. You'll be free in the world we make for you. Once all prey have been eradicated from this world, we'll all be free. You'll be happy. And, you'll no longer need to worry about this criminal you thought you were ready to marry." A devilish smile shone from under the Raven's mask as four predators dressed in white wheeled in a strange tube that was about Lily's size. "We are gonna have to put you away no, but don't worry. We'll give you the dreams you deserve."_

Lily yelped as a pink light knocked her off her feet.

The Phoenix's paws glowed pink as her arms remained out stretched. The pink glow faded as her arms went limp. She collapsed onto her bed, breathing heavily as if she had just run a marathon. "Don't ever do that again!"

"I just wanted to see." Lily got back up on her feet.

The Phoenix shook her head. "No! I don't care. No one should know too much about their future. Especially you!"

Lily blinked in thought. "Wait, I thought you were already married to Adam."

"I am. But, my time is fading away. I lived through a different version of this world. That version is fading against yours. Whenever we touch," The Phoenix tried to stand up, but fell, "oh no. It's started." She looked at her leg that was no longer there. "I'm fading."

Lily looked long and hard at the empty spot where the Phoenix's leg once was. She was reminded of her time with crutches. "I'm so, so sorry." Lily realized something else. Her vision was blurred to the point where she was almost blind. She just realized that she hadn't been wearing her glasses for the longest time. That didn't make sense. She was able to see without them before.

"Your vision is blurred isn't it? Here." The Phoenix handed Lily a pair of glasses. "I knew the implants would eventually short circuit from the electrical surges that came with these temporal dream, but I didn't know when. The NP's were exactly known for efficient technology."

Lily put the glasses on. "Wow, that's better." There was an instant relief that with the glasses.

"Good." The Phoenix sighed with a twinge of pain that was evident in her voice. "That's more than I can say for my sight."

Lily felt a chill go down her spine when she saw the cataracts in both of the Phoenix's eyes.

"Don't worry, Lily. By the time you even get these cataracts, there's a simple surgery to fix it." The Phoenix closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. "It's so strange. I remember this scenario. Though, it was quite different when I was in your shoes. You're terrified right now. But once it's all over, you'll understand what needs to be understood. You'll see what you need to see."

Just then, the Admiral came and grabbed Lily by the shoulder. "Captain, we need to go. We have a means of transportation ready."

"Hold on, Adam. I be there in a second." As the tiger nodded and took off, Lily looked back to the Phoenix. "Lily."

"Lily?" The Phoenix laughed. "That's a name I've not been called in a long time." She pointed out to the direction Adam ran off to. "Go now. Save your future. Save them, Lily. Save their dreams. Save our family. Save our Adam. Fix it."

Lily stood straight up. Knowing well that she couldn't hug the Phoenix without making her fade, she simply saluted and trekked in the same direction as Adam. She could clearly see the light where the tiger had gone to. She was surprised by what was lit up. "What? What is that?"

Adam smiled as he clapped his paws together. "I've always wanted to fly one of these!"

Lily stared at the small bright red zeppelin that slowly inflated. It held up a basket below it. She noticed the patch jobs and the duct tape around the basket. "Is this thing safe."

"Hehehe, trust in the duct. The duct is our savior like Skye, our greatest friend who spreads pleasures through the body." A whiley looking hyena rolled a toothpick between his teeth. "Who be this flat faced and four eyed lass?"

Adam laughed. "Franky, this is Captain Lily. Lily, this is Private Savage, or as we know him, Crazy Frank."

The hyena chuckled with delight. "The name's Franklin Savage, to the ladies. With those glasses and that get up, me almost thought you a boy." Savage had a strange rotten yellowness to his teeth. His hair was matted and missing like an old worn out stuffed animal. "Anyways, back to business." He jumped up and began climbing one of the fastening ropes. "For Queen Skye!"

Lily looked at Adam. "Is he a little?"

"Different?" Adam half laughed. "Yes. Don't ask me who Skye is, I don't know who he's talking about.

Nick came around with a couple torpedos in tow. "He's crazy. That's all you need to know." Nick carried on with getting the zeppelin ready.

Adam looked back up to the Zeppelin. "I remember seeing one of these flying cargo shipments through the Rainforest District. I always wanted to fly one to a deserted island."

"Why an island?" Lily asked.

"I read about it in a book once. Four soldiers, escape in a weather balloon. They crash and survive on a strange and mysterious island. It was a dream of mine to find that island and explore their settlement." The tiger hummed to himself. "Dreams are funny. Sometimes they change with circumstance. I imagine you dream about Whiplash and Daniel all those years ago."

"I miss them." Lily admitted.

A smile crept onto Adam's face. "I got something for you." He went to a box off to the side. "I've helped several animals put together armor in the past. I thought you could use this. Something light, and plasma resistant."

"Oh. Thanks. I-," Lily stopped talking when she saw the blue chest plate that Adam pulled out of the box. "Is that?"

"Yep." Adam smiled as he displayed the chestplate. It was wrapped in a familiar fabric with a white W. "I managed to save it before we left."

Lily took the chestplate. "Thank you. Thank you, Adam."

"Glad you like it. Well, I go talk to our pilot now." Adam tipped his cap before walking around the basket to address a ram that was working on a propeller.

Lily strapped on the chestplate. After properly adjusting it, she looked on it with pride. She remembered her Adam at that first night she knew who he really was. She remembered the way his gold eyes glistened that rainy night. She remembered wearing his clothes after she had dried off so she could warm up. That was the first night she stayed in his home. Now she remembered it as the first night she _was_ home. That home was gone now, but there was a way to get it back. She just had to find it.

Within the hour, the zeppelin was up in the air. It's four passengers were bound for the belly of the beast, the island of evil in the sea of war.


	25. Chapter 25

Whiplash

Chapter 25 "Sharks Don't Sleep: Finale"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily stared up at the stars. "The sky looks beautiful tonight."

"Skye? Where!?" Savage leaned over the basket and looked everywhere.

"Dangit Frank!" The pilot, a ram named Jake, got tense when Frank shook the basket. "It's bad enough that I gotta fly this _thing_ , I don't need you making it worse."

Adam ignored Savage and Jake as he peered over the edge of the red zeppelin. "I almost forgot the stars existed. The sky has been black for so long."

Their odd mode of transport hovered above the black mass that was the clouds. Smog, pollution, and smoke from the war had accumulated into giant ceilings that blacked out the sky. But here, they had completely escaped the darkness of the world around them. As they approached their destination, the night sky evolved into a blue which was stained by the bleeding orange light that crept over the horizon.

Savage climbed up one of the ropes and shaded his eyes with his paw. "Aw, Skye. You'd love this here sight fer sore eyes."

Lily felt the warmth that the rising sun brought. It felt good to be free from the war below, to glimpse at the one thing that never changed between worlds. The moment had to come to an end once their tracking device started to beep. She looked once more at the sun before they began their descent, once more, into darkness.

"We're right over the base." Adam watched as the basket sunk slowly into the black clouds. "Goggles on!" Everyone put on their goggles so as to avoid severe eye damage from the toxins that hung in the clouds. Each animal picked their respected way of covering their mouths as the light disappeared around them. A different light became visible through the clouds. The outline of a complex became clear. "Ready Nick?"

"Ready." Nick readied a tablet with controls for their torpedos.

"Franky?" Adam looked over to see Savage nod over excitedly. "Alright. Remember Nick. First the tower, then the generators, and then the east side." Adam looked over his shoulder and nodded to Savage.

Savage dropped the first torpedo. Nick went to work on his tablet and steered the torpedo to its destination until his video feed cut out.

Adam looked through his binoculars. "Visual conformation, the tower is down. Communications are dead. Drop the next torpedo."

Savage dropped the second torpedo. Nick went at it again and brought the projectile right on top of the generators. Immediately after the initial explosion. The complex's lights shut off. A dim glow followed.

Adam smiled. "Generators are down. Emergency backup generators are running at minimal power. Take out a section of the east wall."

Nick shook his head. "It's gonna be close." Savage dropped the last torpedo. Nick curved the torpedo outwards so that it had enough room to curve back and hit the wall. He managed to hit the wall on the upper levels of the complex. "Got it!"

Adam strapped on his parachute. "Abandon ship!"

"Hey boss, no hands." Savage fell backwards out of the basket and did a backwards swan dive.

Nick looked fearfully over the basket as he finished strapping into his parachute. "I better get promoted for this!" He jumped awkwardly over the edge.

Lily leapt into a controlled dive.

Jake looked at Adam with pleading eyes. "Please don't make me jump."

Adam laughed as Jake regretfully strapped into a parachute. "We need you down there. You see, we're ditching the balloon here for one of the really nice helicopters down there. Now, we're all going so, after you."

"No." Jake crossed his arms. "I'm not going. I would rather pee lightning that do this."

Adam nodded to Jake. "Okay I understand." Acting fast he grabbed Jake and jumped over the edge with him. "You'll forgive me later when we have a totally awesome war story to tell!"

The four pulled their chutes on time and all landed in the hole pre made by their torpedo. Lighting a flare, Lily lit up the darkness as she stepped forward. "Isn't it odd that there's no alarms."

"Yeah." Nick commented. "They didn't even try to shoot us out of the sky."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jake began to yank at all his straps to get rid of the parachute.

Lily cared the flare up to a door. Looking at the side of the door, she saw a keyboard. She brushed off the debris to see the letters better. The passcode was twelve digits long. At first she was a little disheartened, but then she heard a voice repeat familiar word. She began typing. "Veni, vidi, vici." The door automatically slid open once she punched in the code. "Guys, we're in business."

They tread softly through the doorway, single file. Lily dropped the flare as she raised her arm to signal everyone to halt. Hearing that no one else was around, she motioned forward. They walked forward until they came to a catwalk that hung over the lower levels.

Nick looked over the edge. "Ugh, woah. That's, that's a lot of soldiers."

Everyone peeked over the edge to see the thousands of dimly lit soldiers who stood at attention. Paired up in groups of hundreds, they didn't move a muscle.

Adam moved to the front. "They're inactive right now. Ready your blasters. Don't use your guns unless the blasters prove ineffective."

They continued their trek across the catwalk until they came into a hallway. The hallway was lined with doors that were marked by signs. Nick suddenly sneezed. Everyone held their breath as they expected the guards to come running. When no guard came. Nick sighed with relief. "Whew. For a second I thought we were in-." Nick choked on his words when a white paw grabbed him by the throat out of nowhere. His body rose up as the polar bear holding him stepped out of the shadows.

Lily automatically drew her blaster on the polar bear and fired and electromagnetic pulse at his head.

The polar bear collapsed on top of Nick. "Nice shot." Nick grunted as he wiggled from under the bear. "Wait a minute." Nick looked at the polar bear. "Adam, is that who I think it is?"

Adam looked at the polar bears face. "Anthony?"

The polar bear grabbed at his head. "Ah, I have the worst hangover. Awwww."

"Anthony?" Adam pat at his face to sober him up. "It's me Adam. Remember?"

Anthony suddenly flinched and retracted. "What? Where am I?"

"Anthony." Adam slowly approached him. "Are you okay, do you remember anything?"

"Adam? No, it can't be." Anthony backed up against the wall. "Prove you're not under his control."

"Buddy?" Adam smiled cautiously.

Anthony blinked as he recounted what he just heard. "Tumor?"

"Cancer." Adam laughed.

Anthony wheezed into his own laugh. "We used to say this about girls. Cute from afar?"

"Far from cute." Adam erupted into a hushed laughter.

"Buddy!" Anthony grabbed Adam by the arm and shook it. "I haven't seen you since we were held up in the high school." Anthony remembered where they were. "Okay we enjoy a reunion later. Right now we need to get out of here."

"Wait!" Lily harnessed her blaster as she approached the polar bear. "We need your help finding someone. We're looking for a red wolf named Sara."

Anthony shook his head. "No, you don't understand. We have to get out of here. I need to find Rachel."

"Hold on! Rachel's fine, just listen to me." Adam grabbed Anthony by the shoulder. "Anthony, you trust me. Okay? Well, believe me when I say that I trust her." Adam pointed to Lily. "We took out their communications and their power. We just need-."

"Hold up." Anthony raised his paws to stop Adam from talking. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Adam looked left and right. "Because earlier you were being controlled by a psychopathic villain that wants to take over the world."

The polar bear shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. Details, details… Anyway, new plan. How about we get everyone out of here."

"Yes, all of us. You, us, and Sara. That's what I've been trying," Adam's eyes went wide, "oh. You don't mean, do?"

Anthony shook his head. "Just because I've been under control, doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention."

Adam whistled. "But that would mean, oh wow, yes. Genius. Fantastic!"

"Absolutely fantastic!" Both Adam and Anthony jumped in excitement.

Nick and Lily began to laugh while Jake stood dumbfounded. "Uh, what's so funny."

Nick's grin couldn't get any more sly. "Why _just_ steal a helicopter to escape, when you can steal an army?"

Judy stared up at the ceiling when she woke. She felt awful. Aside from the fact that she had been skewered by a piece of shrapnel, her thoughts made it worse. She couldn't forget what Nick had said to her. Struggling to take a deep breath, she let it out with even more pain that followed. When she tried to move, she was startled by a squeak. Looking over she saw a plush bunny that was mostly intact. However, the one arm was a different color as if it had replaced the missing one. There was a string tied around its waist. Pulling on the string, Judy saw that it lead to a gift bag by her bedside.

Pulling the bag up, Judy removed the tissue paper and reached into the bag. She was surprised to feel fur. Pulling the object out, she was surprised to see an arm. But upon further inspection, she noticed that it was a prosthetic similar to her other arm. Slipping on the prosthetic, she was amazed when the arm came to life. Each finger moved at her will. Aside from the padded straps that held the arm in place, it was almost symmetrical with her other arm.

Something else was in the bag. Judy reached in with her new arm. She was surprised by the familiar police uniform that she pulled out. It was her original neoprene garbs she had first started out with when she was just starting as a meter maid. The badge looked as if it had been recently polished. Judy couldn't find any indication of who left this for her, but she had a pretty good idea as to who left it for her. She forced herself to sit up. Fighting the pain she threw the blanket to the side and stood up. Pulling on her old uniform, she looked down at herself.

Judy was amazed. Aside from a few age marks and dirt on her face, she could almost see that bright eyed and bushy tailed bunny from so long ago.

"General?" Daniel had woken up.

Judy walked over to the deer. "Hey soldier, how are you holding up?"

Daniel looked distant. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Judy pulled up a chair and carefully sat down. "What's on your mind?"

"I really screwed up." Daniel's eyes began to water up. "I shouldn't have said those things to Lily. I was angry and upset, and I was scared. After my dad died, Caleb and Sara were the only family I had. And before Caleb died, I promised him that I would take care of Sara. Then she was gone. There was something she told me she wanted to tell me, but now I'll hear what she had to say." Daniel started to cry at the memory of his friend. "Then Lily shows up. And, I wanted nothing to do with her because I thought it was all her fault. It wasn't. Now I realize that I just turned away from the last family I might ever have." Daniel gave a vain laugh. "I remember begging my dad to tell me the truth about Lily. As a kid, I thought for sure that she was my mom. Then she disappeared."

The Phoenix laid off to the side, quietly listening with a broken heart as she pretended to sleep.

Judy sighed. She didn't think she really had any say in this matter. But then again, what kind of person would she be if she said nothing? "She's back. She still cares about you Daniel. I can tell. Don't beat yourself up over this. Talk to her. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Really?" Daniel sniffled as he tried to collect himself. "Even after what I said?"

Judy remembered how Lily pushed to give soldier forty two a chance. She was right about that. She remembered how Lily desperately tried to connect with Daniel both times. "She's a person full of chances to give. I'm sure she'll give you another chance."

Judy cracked a smiled at the now familiar squeaky leg brace that followed Nick Wilde everywhere. "Speaking of chances." The sly fox walked right up Judy. "Looking nice. I bet that arm has a better grip than the last one."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Thanks Captain Wilde. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Nick hummed to himself in thought. "How about lunch after we process all these missing soldiers?"

Judy raised her brow. "What soldiers?" Judy looked behind Nick and gasped as hundreds of soldiers began to step forward. "What? How?"

Nick laughed nervously as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "We sort of went on a rescue mission while you were resting."

Judy looked at all the soldiers. She saw how each ripped off NP patches or altered their uniforms to make it known that they were not affiliated with that group. "Who are they?"

Nick grinned as he pointed out the obvious new faces and the familiar faces. "Some are ours who were lost in battle, some were slaves, and others are some very angry NP's that didn't like the thought of their free will being taken away. We freed them all by shorting out the circuits in their implants. This is only half of them. Your brother and a few other captains are sorting out the rest in a newly established safehouse." Nick looked back and pointed out what he was most proud of. "And here comes Captain Lily with the NP prisoner we originally set out to save. Someone, I'm sure our young Lieutenant Wolfenstein would love to see again."

Judy was truly surprised to see Lily guiding a red wolf wrapped in a blanket, her arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Sara?"

Daniel struggled to lift his head to see for himself. It really was her. "Sara?"

Sara looked up. "Daniel!" She ran to Daniel's bedside and knelt over to embrace him.

Daniel ignored the pain he felt as she embraced him. She was worth enduring for. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell them where we were. I couldn't stop them." Sara cried into his shoulder.

Daniel wrapped his arm around her to comfort her. "It's okay, everything is going to be okay."

Sara lifted her head up and cupped Daniel's face in her paws. "I should have told you. I thought I _was_ going to die, and the only thing I could think about was how I wasn't brave enough to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Daniel asked. "Sara. What did you want to-." Daniel was cut off by Sara as she pressed her lips against his.

After a few moments, Sara broke the kiss. Not knowing how he would react, she kept her eyes closed. "I love you, Daniel."

Daniel eyes began to tear up again. Though this time, they were not tears of sadness.

"Daniel?" Sara began to shake. "Daniel say something."

Lily watched as her son pulled Sara in for another kiss. She smiled when he pulled her into his bed to stay by his side to rest.

"Young love." Adam laughed thoughtfully as he stepped up from behind Lily. "If only Whiplash were here to see this. He's just like his old man."

Lily smiled when Daniel mouthed a _thank you_ from across the way. "I think I really understand what it's like to be a parent. You love them so much, that you'd do anything to see your child happy."

Adam hummed at the thought of his daughter. "Sounds about right. And love, it's not about giving up everything. When you love the right people, you don't have to give up anything, because you'll have everything you need."

The moment almost seemed like it would never last. But, the moments turned into hours as Nick, Judy, Adam, and Lily all worked together to initiate their new and returning troops. After all was said and done. Several circles had come together. Adam and Anthony found a group of form former NP's that were once their peers in school many years ago. Many NP's shook paws and made amends with the soldiers that they once fought. Never before had such unity been seen among animals in the whole duration of this war.

Lily sat down in a circle with the Phoenix, Nick, Judy, and Sara who sat next to Daniel with a blanket draped over the two of them. The Phoenix smiled as Lily sat next to her. "Why?"

Lily smiled because she knew something that the Phoenix didn't. "Why what?" And, she was completely willing to milk every ounce of satisfaction it gave her.

"Why did you do all this?" The Phoenix brought her voice to a whisper. "This world won't exist once you fix the timeline. It means nothing to you. It's just a chapter in your life that will eventually be forgotten when everything is back to normal."

Lily brought her own voice to a whisper as well. "Doesn't matter. Even if this world disappears, I could never live with myself if I didn't even try to fix it. That's why. Sometimes you have to take the time to fix things. Whether it's a toy, an unfinished story, or a lamp; sometimes you just gotta fix things. And besides, I've learned more since I've been here."

The Phoenix reluctantly smiled as she stared at her younger self. "I've forgotten how well we used be able to raise hope from the ashes."

Lily grinned at that. "I guess that's why we're called the Phoenix. I don't know." Lily looked at Daniel and Sara as they nuzzled into each other. She felt a strange sensation in her fingers. Looking at her paw, she almost swore that her fingers were dimly glowing. Lily snapped her fingers and a spark of pink energy flared up before disappearing into thin air.

"Not a bad name for a superhero, is it?" The Phoenix smiled a knowing smile. "You passed the first test. And, you did it years before I could. Maybe you _have_ learned something after all."

Lily looked at the Phoenix, confused. "First test? What do you mean first test?"

"You'll have to ask mom about that when you get the chance. When you fix the timeline and get back, tell her you passed the first test. That's all I can tell you now." The Phoenix fiddled with a different ring on her right paw that Lily hadn't noticed before. On it was the emblem of a phoenix.

Lily sat back up straight and let it be. She turned her attention to Daniel who had been staring at her and the Phoenix. "Hey there Daniel. How're you holding up?"

Daniel glanced back and forth between Lily and the Phoenix. "Are you two related or something? Because, you look alike. I mean a lot."

Lily was about to speak before the Phoenix jumped in immediately. "I'm her aunt."

Lily nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I'm her niece."

Daniel nodded, awkwardly. "Okay, that's cool."

Sara had started to laugh. "That's Daniel's covert way of trying to say he's sorry."

"It's okay." Lily smiled at her grown son's attempt to make peace with her. "I fixed what needed to be fixed. We're good now."

Daniel half smiled as he tried not to let the embarrassment get to him. "Okay." Then the smile fell from his face. "Mom?"

Lily's face lit up with joy as if any glimpse of pain or sorrow had suddenly been banished. "Yes, son?"

For the first time, Daniel gave Lily a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Suddenly the lights around began to flicker. Soldiers stood up as the whole building began to rattle to the point where glass from the ceiling windows began to rain down upon the masses. Masses came crashing through the wall. Everyone was faced with over ten thousand pounds of steel as five tanks surrounded them. Mounted on the tanks were plasma cannons that hummed, charged and ready to fire. A static voice filled the air. "You're weapons are useless. The only thing that can get through these tanks is the fire power they carry, so drop your guns unless you want to be blown away." Lily took a dare by hiding her holstered revolver behind her trench coat while everyone else lowered their weapons. The center tank's hatch popped open and everyone gasped at the sight of the Raven. "Pathetic. That's what you all are. Weak and stupid. Predators and prey, should remain separate. They are _not_ equal, for the predators are far superior than these prey scum."

"It's over!" Adam shouted. "Your reign will end! The word has been spread. Everyone knows how to defeat your armies."

"How cute." The Raven snorted. "If it isn't the little tiger cub who plays dress up. What do you _think_ you've accomplished. You've accomplished nothing. All you've done is merely postponed the inevitable."

"You're wrong." Judy stepped forward. "You're denying your inevitable defeat. You've already lost control of one army! You'll lose control of the next army, and the next one…"

"I am in control!" The Raven screeched. "You think you have the upper hand just because I let you walk into one of my facilities? Think again." The Raven pulled up a red button. "I've always wanted to say this." Everyone watched as the Raven smashed down on the button. "It's a trap!"

Lily watched in horror as sea of taming collars suddenly turned from green to red. Electricity shot out from the shock collars and sent even the toughed lion to their knees. Lily watched as Judy cry out Nick's name as he collapsed in her arms. She watched her own son and Sara twisted in agony from the pain induced by the collars. "Stop," Lily cried, "please, I beg of you!"

The Raven released the button. A collective of groans followed as the pain finally stopped. "Lily Clawhauser. What do you think of the taming collars? At first they were just there to inspire predators to join my cause and uproot the government. But now, they are my failsafe. It's funny how I failed to see how useful they could be, even with the matter of _time_."

Lily rushed to Daniel and Sara. After hearing what had been said, it all clicked together. Lily understood. "You changed how it happened."

"That's right, Lily girl. I changed it all. I made sure the taming collar laws never got vetoed, along with all its amendments. The very reason that pathetic deer has a collar, because law demanded all children raised by predators should be treated as such. The rabbit never solved the nighthowler case, so predators became even more angry with the persecution they faced. There are so many points that I rewrote to create this world where I am in control. And, all it took was you. You were the first paradox I created. I stopped you and halted your path and what you would have become."

Lily stared curiously up at the Raven. "What would I become?"

The Raven pointed an accusing finger. "Lily Clawhauser, you would have been the one to kill me. But that's all in the past, thanks to my paradox machine. As long as it lives, my world stands! Now Lily Clawhauser, time for you and your counterpart to die." The Raven readied the plasma cannon.

"Wait!" Lily waved her arms frantically. "There's something you should know."

The Raven groaned. "What could you possibly have to say?!"

A twitch at the corner of Lily's mouth formed a grin. "It's a trap. Frank! Now!"

Two separate explosions annihilated the first two tanks. In this chaos, animals ran for their guns and scurried away. Adam used his sniper plasma rifle to shoot the button out of the Raven's paw. "What?" The Raven turned in anger as the hyena in question blew up another tank. "This shall not stand!" The Raven pulled out a plasma gun and blasted a hole straight through Savage's lower torso.

The hyena's face twisted into a sincere smile as he stared into the night. "Skye? Is that you?" Savage fell backwards into the fourth tank with a live explosive in paw. The tank erupted with Savage disappearing into the fireball.

The Raven shouted with rage. Then, the Raven's gaze turned to a certain wolf and injured deer. A maniacal laugh echoed from under the Raven's mask.

Lily watched in horror as the Raven pointed the tank's plasma cannon right at Daniel and Sara. "NO!"

Daniel and Sara closed their eyes and clung to each other, expecting the worst. But, the worst never came. Opening their eyes, they saw a ball of flaming plasma floating in the air, enveloped by a pink ethereal aura. Daniel looked and saw Lily with her arms outstretched.

Lily's paws were glowing with the same pink ethereal light. Her face was stricken by focus and determination that swept over the remnants of her dried up tears. "You ruined this world, you took Adam from me, but you will not take my son!"

The Raven stared in astonishment at the feat of Lily's power. "Uh oh."

Lily cried out as she redirected the plasma blast towards the Raven. The plasma cannon was destroyed along with half the tank but not before the Raven could jump to safety. The cannon burst into pieces that took out several columns. This caused the roof to collapse entirely. Dust and dirt engulfed everyone who stuck around.

Lily maintained a field of energy that protected her, Daniel, Sara, and the Phoenix. Once the remaining debris had settled, she let go of the force field. "Wow." Lily blinked as she felt a strange rush that she could only describe as adrenalin on overdrive. "That was pretty cool."

The Phoenix smiled with amazement. "We should probably get out of here."

Lily nodded. "Sara. Take Daniel and the Phoenix out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked.

Lily lit up her paws with magic, a determined look glistened in her eye. "I'm going to finish this."

Lily walked head on into a maze of rubble and debris. She controlled her breathing and fought every urge to jump at an echo. She knew the Raven was aching for a fight. "Coward! You manipulate others instead of fighting your own fights. Are you afraid of showing people who's really behind the mask?"

"Hypocrite!" The echo of the Raven's voice sent a chill down Lily's spine. "When we last met, you had a tranquilizer gun pointed at me from behind your own mask."

Lily began to lose control as her magic became sporadic and she jumped at every shadow that could have been the Raven's. "You twisted this world. You made it so bad things were never resolved, hoping that it would lead radicals to you, but even then, you needed to control them because they knew you wanted more that to just enslave prey animals. What do you got against prey?"

"Everything. They are the reason I am the way I am. But now, I have the opportunity to make things right. Things will be as they should be."

Lily heard the faint foot steps behind her. Jumping in the air, she dodged a shot from the Raven's plasma gun. But even after throwing bursts of energy, she still landed with a plasma gun to her head. She thought this was it, the end.

The Raven cackled. "Any last words?" Before the shot could be fired, a beam of plasma blasted the gun from the Raven's grasp.

Adam quickly reloaded his plasma rifle. "I hate monologues."

"Fool!" Before Adam could react, the Raven produced several throwing knives and launched them at him.

The knives struck Adam in the chest and sent him to the floor. "Gah!" Adam smacked down to the floor as blood began to leak from his chest.

"Adam!" Lily called to the tiger but was silenced by the Raven's fist as it crashed across her face. She felt her face go numb before steadily falling backwards, defeated.

"Why don't you get it? Why don't any of you get it?! Don't you see what I'm trying to do for you?!" The Raven shifted at the sound of aluminium crutches. "Getting old. You have no power here."

The Phoenix dropped her crutches. Lighting up the magic in her paws, a waterfall of pink light swirled around her leg and made a new ethereal foot that she could stand on. "I've avoided killing you for so long." She stretched out her arms and engulfed the Raven in her power. "You're so lost in your pain, you don't even understand any more."

"Fool! You'll kill us both!" The Raven snarled.

The Phoenix. Looked back at Lily. She looked at the chestplate with the emblem her husband once wore as a symbol of hope. "Then I shall see my husband again, while you die alone."

The Raven squirmed in the magic as it tightened. "Veni, vidi, vici." The Raven wailed under the weight of the pink aura. "I came! I saw! I conquered!"

An audible snap brought silenced the Raven once and for all, in this world. The Phoenix dropped her magic and fell to her knees and paws. She began to wheeze as tiny pink cracks began to travel and open up and down her body. It was inevitable now. She was going to die.

Lily regained her senses and stared at the small lifeless limp of a body that once belonged to the Raven. She had know. Lily moved to remove the mask.

"Stop!" before Lily could grab the mask, the Phoenix shot a burst of energy that reduced the Raven's body to ashes. However, the use of that much energy cost her a portion of her body. Her legs had completely disappeared now.

Lily rushed to the Phoenix's side. "No, why did you do that?"

"Your time has to unfold naturally. Any alteration of specific events could change reality as you know it." The Phoenix clenched her teeth together and hissed from the pain she was in. "You know all you needed to know, even more. But now, you must go back."

Lily didn't know what to do. "You're fading."

"It took a lot of magic to hold me here. Now that it's all gone, I'll vanish with the remnants of my timeline." The Phoenix looked up at Lily. "Lily? Take my paw."

"No." Lily shook her head as fresh tears began to roll down her cheek. She was watching herself die. "You'll only fade faster."

"I want you to have this. It's a memory of my time with our Adam. I want you to have it." Lily didn't stop the Phoenix as she grabbed her paw.

 _Lily woke up in her bed. She smiled brightly as she took in the smell of peaches. She knew getting Adam that new shampoo would be worth it. Looking at her husband, she wasn't surprised to see he was awake first. "Good morning, sweety."_

" _Aww," Adam sighed, "you woke up earlier than usual."_

 _Lily laughed. "Why is that bad?"_

" _You purr in your sleep. It's adorable." Adam brushed his paw over Lily's head and around her ears as he had been doing before. This elicited a purr from Lily who squealed with embarrassment._

" _Adam!" She buried her face in his chest, not just to hide her face, but also for the peaches._

 _Adam wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulder. "I'm sorry."_

 _Lily made a pouty face. "I can't work today. I'm too tired, and you smell like peaches."_

 _Adam rolled his eyes. "Okay. I'm sure that Zootopia Times won't collapse if its editor in chief misses one day."_

 _Lily curled up her legs to warm her feet up next to Adam's. "Don't you gotta work too? Crime fighting doesn't pay for itself."_

 _Adam smiled at his wife. "Daniel is the leading Ranger today. He's got that forest all to himself along with the Otterton boy and Sara."_

 _Lily furrowed her brow at the mention of Sara's name. "I'm not sure I trust Sara."_

" _Oh, this again?" Adam laughed. "They've been friends since they were kids. What are you worried about? It's not like she's gonna corner him and seduce him."_

 _Lily frowned at that. "You're not helping with that image."_

" _I'm sorry." Adam brushed Lily's face with his paw. "Hey, how about I make breakfast."_

 _Lily fake groaned. "You're tempting me with food, my weakness." Sitting up she looked into her husband's eyes. "Adam? Do you think I'm attractive?"_

 _Adam looked curiously at his wife. "Why do you ask?"_

" _Just answer the question." Lily demanded._

" _Yes, of course.," Adam stated, "is something bothering you?"_

" _I don't know." Lily rubbed her shoulder which was a little sore from how she slept. "Sometimes, I get the feeling that you don't look at me that way. I know, it's crazy."_

" _No, I understand." Adam sat up as well and interlocked his paw with hers. "Lily. I love you. Because of the fact that I love you, and we're happily married, you've become the most beautiful creature I've ever known. I'm lucky to be with you." He leaned in and kissed Lily. He kissed her long and good to drive the point home. "Even if we grow old, I won't be looking at you with young eyes, I'll see you and love you as an old wolf. You are and always will be beautiful in my eyes Lily. I have no regrets with you. If I could ever start this life again, if I somehow lived a thousand miles away, I'd find a way. I'd find a way to live my life with you. I wouldn't have it any other way."_

 _Lily pressed her forehead against her husband's. She whispered to him._

"I love you, Adam." The Phoenix let go of Lily's paw. Nearly her whole body was gone aside from her face and her paw. Her paw faded away entirely. A sad smile accented her decaying face. "Goodbye, me."

Lily watched as the last of the Phoenix faded to ash and dust. "Goodbye, me." She was alerted by the coughing that escaped from Adam the tiger. Lily rushed to his side when she saw how much blood had come out of his body. "Adam. Oh my, oh no."

Adam smiled despite the blood that dripped from the corners of his mouth. "Did I do it? Am I like you? I helped rescue Sara, and I saved you so you can be with Daniel and Sara. Am I a hero?"

Lily knew she couldn't stop the bleeding. Even if she could, he had already lost so much blood. All she could do was comfort him until the end. "Yeah. You are." Lily lifted his head into her lap. "Daniel and Sara, they'll be a family and raise kids of their own." She remembered the memory the Phoenix had given her. "They're gonna be forest rangers and preserve nature, so everyone will be able to see how beautiful the world was." Rain started to come down through the broken roof.

Adam smiled. "I like that. Maybe they'll be there to take my little Zira on her first hike. I always liked the forest, and camping. Maybe your son can teach my daughter how to fish when I can't."

Lily felt the cold overwhelm her as the rain soaked her fur. "That, would be great." Lily looked up as spot lights lit up the dark. One focused on Lily and Adam.

The tiger reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo of his father and the green handkerchief he always carried. "Give these to Elizabeth. Tell her, about the stars and how they're still out there."

Lily could see his wife rushing over. "Adam, you can tell her yourself. She's coming!"

Adam's eyes went glassy. "Tell her. Tears in rain…"

By the time Elizabeth reached her husband's side, it was too late. Adam had passed quietly without so much as a gasp for a final breath. "Adam? Adam? Please, no. Not like this." The gazelle gripped the handkerchief and photo tightly when Lily handed them to her. "Don't leave me! Adam!"

Lily shook her head. She couldn't believe this happened. After all he had done, he would never get to see the bright future he helped forge for all these animals. Carefully, she closed his eyes.

Anthony the polar bear stepped forward into the scene as rain gently washed the blood of his friend away. "Josh? Michael? Leo? Jake?" A grizzly bear, a raccoon, a jaguar, and Jake stepped forward next to Anthony.

Lily watched as Adam's five friends saluted him. Their tears were lost in the rain that came down upon them. She watched as the grizzly took a knee and cried, "Oh captain, my captain."

Six months passed. Most of the NP control stations were taken down. Those that remained loyal to the Novus Purificatio cause, disappeared into the darker places of the world. Nick set up shop to build a new city across from the remains of Zootopia. He was appointed Mayor, while Judy stuck around as the first sheriff. Anthony went on to become the new leader of the Post Office Batallion. When their services as soldiers were no longer required, they continued to deliver messages of hope between each new city state that sprung up. Elizabeth continued to raise her daughter and tell everyone about her husband's life. Daniel and Sara started up a wildlife renewal project to plant new trees and restore forests. They established a new park in honor of Whiplash and the Admiral who had perished at the hands of the Raven. They called it Adams Park. A statue was erected, depicting the two soldiers with clasped arms. Wilde Times was converted into a memorial museum to honor those who had fallen in war. In its opening a glass case stands with the tiger's post office cap and the remainder of the wolf's old battle suit. Animals came from far and wide to pay their respects to the ones who fought so valiantly for the freedom of others.

Then there was Lily. After searching for so long, she found it. She found what the Raven had used to create this reality where such drastic events had taken place. Lily finally came face to face with the devious machine as its red light mocked her. "The paradox machine." Lily nodded to herself. "This is it."

Mayor Nick Wilde felt a sense of uneasiness as he stood in the presence of the machine. "Are you sure."

"Yes I'm sure." Lily circled it round about, looking for a way to deactivate it. Though, she wasn't sure exactly what would happen once she did manage to shut it down.

Sheriff Hopps looked the machine up and down. "So in this _other_ time, I was a Detective?"

"Yes," Lily remembered when Judy first showed up at the garage, "So was the Mayor. You both were partners. You were asking me for help, investigating Whiplash."

Nick and Judy left Lily to examined the machine for a moment while they talked.

Nick scoffed at the notion. "Me? A cop? I find that a bit of a stretch."

Judy jabbed him in the arm. " _We_ were partners."

"I guess that makes it a bit more believable." Nick winked at Judy.

Judy tapped her foot and tucked her hands into her trench coat's pockets. "Mayor, please. Show a little professionalism."

Nick brushed off the lapels of his grungy suit. There wasn't exactly any dry cleaners working yet, but he managed. "An interesting idea. How about we discuss this further, I don't know, maybe Saturday evening?"

Judy smiled. "Perhaps. Maybe Deputy DeClaw can take over that evening."

Nick's usually slick and smooth smile faded to a more sincere one. "Are we too old for this?"

Judy looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing that there wasn't she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Nick on the cheek. "Of course not you dumb fox." With that, Judy walked away.

Nick chuckled to himself. He felt like a million bucks. He turned back to Lily who had seen the whole ordeal, but frankly, he didn't care. "We're gonna clear outta here before you do anything, so wait for the radio signal. Alright?"

Lily gave a quick thumbs up. "Okay."

Nick was about to walk away, but something kept him. "Lily? Are Judy and me, you know?"

Lily sighed. "I don't know. The last time I saw you, you both seemed to have a pretty professional relationship."

Nick lowered his head. At the debriefing, he had heard how this machine could reset time to the way it was supposed to be. No one outside the debriefing was told about this. The public was strictly out of the know to prevent panic. Nick felt a little panicked now. "Well, if you see me again, smack some sense into me will you?" The sly fox smiled as he hummed.

"Will do." Lily felt melancholy as she realized that one way or another, she would be leaving this world behind. On the other hand, she knew Adam was waiting for her.

Nick stood at attention and saluted Lily. "It was a privilege serving with you, Captain Phoenix."

Lily returned the salute. "The feeling is mutual."

Nick turned with a smile. "Okay Daniel, she's all yours."

Lily was surprised to see Daniel and Sara walking arm in arm along the platform. Nick nodded to Daniel as he passed him. "Hey mom."

Lily found it even harder to look her son in the eye. If this plan to destroy the paradox machine didn't work, she could die and fail. If that were the case, she'd lose the chance to be with her son who was already here. "Hello son. Did you come to see me off?"

Daniel nervously stared at the floor as he scratched behind his antlers which had grown back. "Yeah, and I wanted to tell you some things." Daniel squeezed tighter on Sara's paw. "We're engaged."

"I asked him." Sara interjected. "The dope had the ring and was too scared to ask."

Lily laughed with Sara. "These Wolfenstein boys, it's like they're playing hard to get. Am I right?"

Daniel looked at the machine and took it all in. The machine towered all the way to the warehouse ceiling. The tangled mess of wires spread around its sides like tentacles. "Is dad somewhere out there."

Lily nodded. "I know he is. And, you and Sara are there too. You're still just six-year-olds." Lily couldn't contain herself as she rushed forward to hud them both. "I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too mom." Daniel began to tear up as he embraced Lily. "Who knows, maybe none of this will be reset. Maybe we'll both remember."

Lily kissed her son on the forehead. "Perhaps it's like many streams going the same way."

Daniel smiled. "And when you look back far enough, you see they all branched off from the same river."

Lily forced herself to let go of Daniel. "It's time for me to go home."

After an hour, Lily finally got the call through the radio. "We're all ready down here at a safe distance of five to ten miles."

"Okay." Lily shook her arms to get rid of the shakes.

"We're here with you mom." Daniels voice on the radio was a great comfort to Lily.

"Okay." Lily lit up her paws with magic. She approached the machine and pressed her paws against it. Focusing, she forced the magic through the intricacies of the machine to cripple it. Automatically, an alarm went off. A digital voice warned about a radiation leak. Lily continued attacking the machine. Heat began to rapidly fill the room to the point where the machine started to burn Lily's paws. She continued on. There was a shift in the gravity that made her body feel ten times heavier. Still, she continued to attack the machine with her magic. In the reflection of the machine, Lily could see her fur melting and falling off. Blisters began to form on her skin.

The pain was almost too much. Then Lily heard a voice. " _Lily? It's time to go home, Lily._ " Looking up, Lily saw an ethereal shadow of herself, the Phoenix. Behind the Phoenix, another figure appeared. It was Whiplash. The two stood side by side with Lily. This pushed Lily to keep going. Even though her paws had now fused to the metal, she was determined to keep pumping magic into the machine.

" _Oh captain, my captain._ " Lily felt everything slow down as a third figure appeared. It was Adam, the tiger. " _Thank you miss. Thank you._ "

"Anytime." Lily closed her eyes as everything went white. The rumbling of the the warehouse was replaced by a quiet hum, and then nothing. For a moment, Lily was blind. She felt that her back was pressed against a cold metal table. An uncontrollable force caused Lily to sit up on the table and heave up what felt like tubes running down her throat. She ripped them out to take a breath of fresh air. Her senses were met by a comfortable temperature that was neither too hot nor too cold. She opened her eyes. A salty aftertaste caused Lily to pucker her face and squint. As her vision slowly became her own, she was confused by what she saw.

Lily saw that she was in a white room with stainless steel tables and medical equipment. She had on the same neoprene suit she had before, except it was clean. Looking behind her she saw a window. She rushed to it. Looking outside she was met by a beautiful sight, blue skies with a few scattered white clouds. Looking down she could see building and roads, perfectly in tact. "I did it. I'm back." A red glow sent a chill through Lily. She turned back to see the paradox machine. Only, it was smaller. It was damaged and its light seemed to fluctuate between bright and dim.

A stray portable radio near the machine sprung to life. " _Hello? Hello, hello. Lily? Did it work? I repeat did it work?_ "

Lily ran over and grabbed the radio. "Yes, this is Lily. It was a success. I made it."

" _Mom? You really did it?_ " Daniel's voice was more static than the last.

Lily looked at the machine. Its light was getting dimmer. "Daniel, we don't have much time to talk." The machine was the only thing keeping her connected with the other timeline.

The door to the room suddenly burst open. Lily noticed that it was an NP soldier. Before she could do anything, a dart hit his neck. The soldier passed out. She could hear the squeak of footsteps outside the door. She felt her heart stop when she saw that it was Whiplash, Adam, her fiance. "Lily?"

" _Is that him?_ " Daniel's voice still came in through the radio.

Lily walked over to Adam and pulled him over to the radio. "Tell me. Please tell me how much you love Daniel."

Adam pulled off his mask. "What?"

"Adam! Are you proud of Daniel?" Lily grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Answer me."

"Of course. He's my son, and I'll always be proud of him. What-" Adam found himself silenced by Lily's paw around his snout.

"Now. Do you love your son?" Lily released her grip.

"Yes. I love Daniel. I always have, and I always will." Adam looked at the radio when he heard sobs coming out of it. Then the red light of the machine died out along with the signal from the other side. Static filled the air.

Lily whispered a goodbye before falling against Adam. "Adam? Is it really you?"

"Of course. Lily are you alright? You've been gone for over a month now." Adam was cut off by Lily who shoved him to the ground and pelted her fiance's face with kisses.

"It feels like it's been six months." Lily locked her lips onto Adam's and refused to let go until she couldn't breath. Eventually, she had to breath. When she pulled out of the kiss she was surprised to see Detective Nick Wilde with a tranquilizer gun. Her heart shattered as she felt like her happy return was suddenly unraveled. Adam wasn't wearing his mask, and the Police knew he was the vigilante.

Nick holstered his tranquilizer gun. "Seriously, Adam? Try and show a little more professionalism next time. Geez. I signed up for a rescue mission, not to see whatever _that_ was."

Lily was surprised by this reaction.

Detective Hopps came running down the hall. "Nick? What is it? What's wrong."

Nick was still trying to get the image out of his head. "Just missed damsel in distress snogging with her super hero boyfriend."

"Fiance." Judy corrected Nick.

"Whatever." Nick waved her off. "I just don't like seeing animals kissing each other."

Judy tapped her foot and crossed her arms. "Is that why you close your eyes during kissing scenes in the movies?"

Nick furrowed his brow. "Shut up."

Adam helped Lily back to her feet. "Hold up. You're all working together?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah for about two weeks now."

"Lily," Judy went on to explain, "the police are up to their necks with Neo Puritan gang activity. Nick and I are the only two cops that know about Adam. His secret is safe with us." Judy motioned to Nick and Adam. "Okay, let's go."

Lily kept Adam behind for a bit. "Adam, where are we going? Let's just go home."

"We get you to a hospital first to make sure you're alright. Now come on." Adam froze when a flash of pink slammed the door shut. He cautiously looked at Lily. "Lily? Did you just?"

"Adam. I'm tired, I want to go home, and I want to tell my son I'm his mother before he thinks otherwise. I don't want to go to the hospital right now, I just want to be with you!" Lily wrapped her arms around Adam and embraced him like there was no tomorrow.

Adam sighed as he picked her up in his arms. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Open the door." When the door didn't open, he sighed. "Lily, I promise I won't leave your side through all of this. Now please, open the door."

"On one condition." Lily looked up at Adam. "I'm moving into your room, not the guest room."

Adam started to laugh. "Okay." He smiled at Lily as he kissed her cheek. "Okay." The pink light returned and the door gently swung open. Adam carried Lily down the hall as gently as he could while being quick about it. "So," Adam hummed, "you have magic now?"

"Uh huh." Lily felt like she could just fall asleep then and there, but she was afraid to escape the real world.

Adam nodded. "So, how exactly does that work?"

"It's _magic_ , Adam. Don't overthink it." Lily pressed her face into his shoulder. "Now, you gotta tell me. What did I miss?"


	26. Chapter 26

Whiplash

Chapter 26 "What'd I Miss"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

 _Two weeks ago…_

Nick yawned as he walked up the stairs to Judy's apartment with coffee in tow. The fact that the elevator was broken was bad enough. Nick had been coming over to her apartment regularly to help take care of baby Judy. So regularly in fact, that he had to bring Kit with him every once in a while to prove he wasn't cheating on her. He didn't mind though. Trust went both ways. Kit showed him that she had changed, but he too had to prove that he was putting in the effort to change.

Nick finally reached the door that had a familiar carrot themed welcome mat. He gently tapped on the door to avoid waking the baby. The door quietly unlocked and revealed a droopy eyed Judy who smiled despite her lack of sleep. "Hey Nick."

"Coffee?" Nick held up the cardboard carrier with the two fresh brews.

"Yes, please." Judy opened the door for Nick.

Nick set the cardboard carrier on Judy's desk. Taking his own coffee, he laughed as Judy took hers and sipped on it with pleasure. "Long night?"

Judy looked at the now sleeping baby arctic shrew. "You have no idea. She just kept screaming and crying. And the neighbors, they threatened to get the landlady to kick me out." Judy grabbed her own ears and buried her screams in them. "Nick, I'm not ready to be a parent. I don't know what I'm doing."

Nick raised his brow. "Really? You have two hundred and seventy five siblings and you don't know what you're doing? I thought maybe you would've been a babysitter at some point."

"Nick, I only watched the older kids. I've never had to take care of a baby before." Judy took another sip of the soothing fuel in her styrofoam cup. She was actually impressed that Nick remembered how many siblings she had. The fact that he listened, even when he pretended not to, that's why she loved having him as a friend.

Nick frowned a bit a Judy's remark. He felt a little bad for assuming that she knew a lot about kids because of her abundant siblings. It wasn't like he knew, as he was an only child. It was strange how opposite he was to Judy. She has so many brothers and sisters, and she seemed like she wanted to escape her family at times. Nick was the only child in his family, and he remembered wanted to have a brother or a sister. "Is she awake?"

Judy looked in horror as little Judy began to stifle up another cry. "Oh no. I just got her to sleep five minutes ago." Judy reached into the small crib that sat on her desk and pulled out little Judy. She began to cry almost instantly. "No, no, no." She panicked as her head began to overload to the point where coffee could no longer save her. "Nick!"

Nick froze as Judy placed the small baby in his paw. "What?! I don't know anything about-." But, the moment little Judy was in his paw, she stopped crying. Nick looked nervously at the small baby as she looked up to him with wide eyes. "Hey there." Little Judy smiled a bit before emitting an adorable little baby giggle. "Oh, you think my face is funny? How about this?" Nick crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue to his nose. This made little Judy laugh louder as she began to roll off his paw. Nick reacted fast and caught her with his other paw. He brought both paws up together and formed a little cup. "Gotcha. Ain't no way I'm letting you fall little miss."

Judy smiled as she watched Nick entertain little Judy. This was actually the first time he interacted with her like this. Other than her mom, some of the remaining Bigs, and herself, not to many others had entertained the child. What was more amazing was how Nick handled her. "Looks like she likes you."

Nick perched little Judy up on his snout and crossed his eyes again. He kept his paws on either side to make sure she didn't fall. "I'm surprised, most little ones are terrified of me."

Then little Judy fell forward and hugged onto Nick's face. She took a moment to realize she fell, but that didn't matter once she discovered the enticing fluffy red stuff that was Nick's fur. She squealed in delight as she dug her paws into the fur around his face. "Dada!"

Nick's eyes went wide. "Did she just say?"

Judy felt like she might cry tears of happiness. "Her first words."

"Okay, but did you hear what she said? She called me dada." Nick had no idea why that was so terrifying, but it was. He retrieved little Judy from his snout and held her out to Judy.

"What are you giving her to me for? You're doing great." Judy's ears went droopy when she saw the look on Nick's face. "What's wrong?"

"Say what you just said, before you asked me what was wrong." Nick curled up his arm and cradled little Judy in the crook of his elbow.

Judy stared at Nick, confused. "You're doing great?"

Nick watched as little Judy yawned and snuggled up in his arm. "Before my dad died, he always said that he wanted me to do better than him. He would tell me that. But, I never believed I could ever match up to him. He worked all day, till he was bone dead tired, for me and mom. What did I do? I started conning animals. Since I was twelve. I was shifty, and low. Nothing like him."

Judy rested her paw on Nick's shoulder. "Hey, look. You got her to go to sleep." Judy carefully transfered little Judy from Nick's arm to her cradle. "You seem like you'd be a pretty good dad. Kit sure is lucky to have you." Judy smiled regardless of that notion. There is was again, that strange feeling that didn't make sense. She smiled more to hide a strange black spot of jealousy that had somehow manifested.

"Yeah, I guess Kit is." Nick thought about his girl. She had been a little distant lately, which was surprising with how tight of a leash she had kept on him. Nick's smile weakened when he thought about that leash. It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. Was Kit jealous of Judy? No, that was stupid. Then Nick looked at Judy, his friend. She was indeed his friend. She was one of the few he ever opened up to about his past. He didn't even open up to Finnick. Kit knew, but Judy was the one who seemed more sincere about it while Kit just raged about how terrible the other scouts were to treat him like that. Nick shook his head back to reality. For a second he thought that Judy's eyes were like starlight. "Anyway. You might wanna get some better clothes on. Remember how our _suspect_ has been flooding our call center?"

Judy sighed at that. Lily had missing for about a month, and it broke her heart to hear the two had been separated. It reminded her of how Mrs Otterton was when she was looking for Emmitt. "Yeah. It's kinda hard to call him a suspect now. What with the NP gang and now this?"

Nick crossed his arms. "Don't you find it a little suspicious?"

Judy gave Nick that look. "He called the police because his fiance has been missing for a month. Sound's like a genuinely concerned fiance, end of story."

Nick rolled his eyes. At the beginning of the whole escapade, she was dead set on Adam being guilty. Now she seemed like she was dismissing him out of hand. "He's invited _us_ specifically to come to his son's birthday party."

That was strange surprise to Judy. "Really why?"

Nick recalled the words Clawhauser had used. "Clawhauser passed the word on to me. He hopes that us being there can cheer up his son, Daniel."

Judy face palmed once she remembered Adam's son. "Oh, poor kid." She started pushing Nick out the door.

"What? What are you doing?" Nick asked as he was being shoved out the door.

"I gotta get dressed." With that, Judy shut the door.

They arrived at Adam's house at about noon. They had stopped by the toy store to get some things for Daniel. It was an awkward walk up to the Wolff house as Adam was there was there to greet them at the door. Though, he wasn't what Judy or Nick expected him to be that day. They expected anger or hatred because of how slow the police have been to help him. Instead, he looked stoic. If anything, there was a look of helplessness and even desperation. He said nothing to them as he took their presents to the gift table. Adam lingered at the front door, as if was avoiding his son. At the same time, it was like he was hoping for Lily to come back. Nick and Judy carried on to the rest of the party.

Judy elected to bring little Judy along in a tiny baby carrier that hung over her chest. She felt it would be easier that waiting for one of the Big family members to come watch her. However, despite the fact that she was attending a birthday party with her goddaughter, she was still on duty in a sense. She had her badge and tranquilizer gun tucked away in the baby bag she had brought with her.

Nick had brought his badge and tranquilizer too. The concealed holster in his jacket was a lot more comfortable over his ZPD t-shirt that a dress shirt.

There was an immediate rush of kids that recognized Nick and Judy. Their momentary fame didn't last long though as they ran off to do other party activities. The two were eventually greeted by two red wolves, a husband and wife.

"Oh hi! You must be Nick and Judy." The wife shook hands with Judy. "I'm Mary Red. And this is my husband, Gabriel Red."

"Call me Gabe." Gabe shook Nick's paw. "We're Adam's neighbors. Our kids, Caleb and Sarah are friends of Daniel."

"We're helping Adam with the party." Mary looked around. "I think Daniel's over by the kitchen if you wanted to say hi."

Nick and Judy both frowned when they saw the young stag. While most the other children were playing games and having fun, Daniel was sitting against the wall, playing with a piece of string. Two kids sat by his side. It was Caleb and Sara Red. Caleb appeared to be speaking words of comfort while his sister hugged onto Daniel's arm. The two were his truest friends as they were the ones trying to make him feel better.

Judy looked at Nick. "Goodness, this is so sad. No child should ever have to experience being so sad."

Nick whispered back, "At least his friends are here to be with him."

The Reds came up to them. Mary crossed her arms with one paw over her heart. "I hope Lily comes back to them, Daniel and Adam. They both need her now."

"What if she's dead?" Gabe was met with a smack to the back of the head.

"Gabriel! Don't talk like that. It's bad enough that Adam worries about that. We don't Daniel hearing the same thing from anyone else." Mary sighed after she had finished scolding her husband. "Lily was such a blessing to all of us. We've always seen Adam as our friend, though he's always been distant around other people. He's the only other wolf in the neighborhood."

"I was about to say, the Rainforest District doesn't seem like a place that would attract a lot of wolves." Nick remembered the first time he met Adam in the Rainforest District and how odd it was.

"It has it's quirks," Gabe commented, "but it's home."

Mary looked at Judy's carrier. "Oh is that yours?"

"It's my goddaughter." Judy turned a little so Mary could see the sleeping baby. "Her parents are, uh, gone now. She's only two."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Mary did her best to be sincere. "She give you much trouble?"

"I'm managing, so far." Judy nudged Nick in the side. "Thanks to my coffee runner over her."

"Oh." Mary smiled. "How long have you two been married?"

Nick and Judy's both widened as they held their arms up in protest. "We're partners, ZPD."

"I have a girlfriend." Nick nodded awkwardly as he and Judy avoided looking at each other.

"Pardon my wife." Gabe smirked. "She thinks she's an expert in spotting a couple because she reads romance novels."

Mary glared at her husband. "Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight?"

Gabe smiled wide. "I love you sweety! You're perfect in every way."

Mary grabbed her husband by the ears. "What was that? I couldn't hear you?"

"I was wrong!" Gabe froze. He expected a slap across the face, but he got a kiss on the cheek instead.

"Good. Know your place." Mary pat her husband on the back. "I need to go get the cake ready. Can you handle the piñata?"

"Yes dear." Gabe side hugged his wife before she walked off. "Love." Gabe laughed. "It always gets you in the end."

Judy laughed at the antics that went on between the married couple before she sniffed the air. "Oh, ugh! Judy."

Nick looked over. "What's the," the smell hit his nose, "woah, oh my. That's a stinky."

"I'm sorry, but do you know where the bathroom is?" Judy dug through her bag as she looked for the miniscule diapers.

Gabe pointed behind her. "Right over there, at the base of the staircase."

"Thanks." Judy smiled and immediately took off towards the bathroom.

Nick tagged along with Gabe to get the piñata ready. He simply held the piñata while Gabe scooped up candy and carefully dropped it in. "So, you're a cop."

Nick raised a brow at Gabe. "Is that a statement or a question?"

Gabe shrugged. "An observation. Any news on the whole Neo Puritans?"

Nick stared blankly at Gabe. He assumed that _Neo Puritan_ was in reference to Novus Purification. Since they were basically a twisted reboot of that old accursed generation, there was no better word to suit them. They were indeed a black spot on history, as Novus Purification would be as well. "I'm not of liberty to say." Nick really didn't want to talk about Neo Puritans in that moment. He honestly hated them. It made predator look bad. The thing was that not all predators were bad. But, that didn't really matter to animals who were close minded and afraid. In certainly didn't matter to those scouts who muzzled Nick as a kid.

"Okay, I respect that." Gabriel went back to putting candy in the piñata. "What about that Whiplash guy? Does he ever cross paths with these Neo Puritans?"

Nick felt sick in that moment. A headache teased him. He was actually disappointed that the famed vigilante had seemingly vanished. "He hasn't been active for the past two weeks." Nick actually found himself wishing that the vigilante would come back. He'd take any help at this point.

"Oh, that's a shame." Gabe finished putting the candy into the piñata. "Okay, where's that string? Oh that's right, Daniel has it."

Judy finished up putting on little Judy's diaper. "There we go. All better now?" Judy smiled at the giggling baby. "Good now," Judy looked at the toilet, "yeah I can just flush the diaper." She dropped the used diaper into the toilet bowl and pulled the handle. Noticing a can of air freshener, she pointed it into the bowl and sprayed it a couple of times. "Wait a minute, I know that smell." Judy got a good whiff of it, and her mind skyrocketed once she made the connection with the familiar scent of Apples and Cinnamon.

Nick looked down at Daniel. "Hey there buddy. Remember me?"

"Yes, sir." Daniel was very quiet and seemed out of it on a level that frightened Nick.

Nick could almost see himself in Daniel. It sorely reminded him of when his dad died. "Daniel, would you mind if we used the string to set up the piñata?" Daniel finally stood up and presented the spool of string to Nick. "Thank you." Nick then noticed the strange twisted strings that fell out of Daniel's lap. He immediately recognised them as crackers, the ends of whips. "Daniel, what are those?"

Daniel looked at the crackers and picked one up. "Dad showed me how to make these. He calls them poppers. He says they can go so fast they make the air pop, but I've never seen it." Daniel grabbed more of them. "Did you want one?"

Evidence. That was the first thought on Nick's mind. "Sure." Nick pulled out an empty plastic back he had swiped from Judy's baby bag. He took the string and placed it in the bag. "Thank you, again."

"Sir?" Daniel squeaked.

Nick looked at Daniel with a smile. "Yeah?"

"Can you please find Lily. My daddy really misses her. The monsters in his closet are back."

Nick put on his best smile for the kid. "I promise we'll help your dad find her."

A smile finally cracked Daniels glum face. "Thank you, Sir."

Nick laughed at how Daniel called him sir. He gave a little salute. "At ease, soldier." With that, Daniel and his friends went off to join the other children. Nick's smile fell away from his face when Judy rushed over to him, a concerned look in her eyes as she held little Judy closer in one paw. "What's wrong."

Judy took a deep breath to calm herself. "Nick, do you remember the beginning of this case? At the warehouse when it was just the stolen art, do you remember what I smelled?"

"Apples and cinnamon, but what does that have to do with anything?" Nick's eyes widened as Judy lifted up a can of apple and cinnamon air freshener. He pulled out the cracker from his pocket and showed it to Judy.

They both looked over as Adam entered the kitchen alone. Nodding to each other. They crept over to the kitchen and drew their tranquilizer guns. Judy placed Little Judy in the carrier. This isn't how either of them expected this to go down, but they knew that if Adam had any common sense, he would come quietly instead of making a scene.

"Adam Wolff." Judy kept her tranquilizer pointed at Adam, but out of view of anyone who might be watching. "You're under arrest."

Adam set down the bowl he was cleaning in the sink. Wiping his paws on his pants, he turned around and crossed his arms. "Put those away, you two are making fools of yourselves."

Nick was surprised by this attitude. "Adam Wolff, you're in a lot of trouble."

"Okay." Adam nodded. "Then maybe when they interrogate me, I should tell them about your taxes."

Judy blinked in further astonishment. "How did you know that?"

"Be very careful right now, Hopps. You'll be out of a job if I spill the beans about how you knew he had unpaid taxes and still didn't take it to a higher authority." Adam stood up tall and glared down at Judy. "You do not want me as your enemy, Hopps. I have scars just the same as you and Nick. We don't have to do this."

"What?" Judy shook her head. "You don't know anything about me."

Adam knelt down to eye level with Judy. "How's Gideon Grey? Is he doing better? What about you? Has that scar faded yet, or is it still there from when he scratched your face?" Judy's nose began to twitch as Adam spilled out this information in front of Nick. "Shall I go on?"

Nick raised his tranquilizer higher. "Who do you think you are?"

"I can ask you the same question, Detective. If you have every right to go digging up my past, I have the equal freedom to go digging for yours. You know everything about me. I know a lot about you too. So tell me, Nick, what's you're disposition on muzzles?"

Nick lowered his gun. "What are you trying to prove?"

Adam stepped back. The anger in his face gradually swept into a more sincere smile as he began to whisper. "I am the vigilante known as Whiplash."

Judy furrowed her brow. "That was a surprisingly forthcoming confession."

Adam shrugged. "I got dirt on you, now you have dirt on me. We're even."

Nick cautiously smiled. "I'm not sure that's how it works."

"Trust me. I don't like it anymore than you do." Adam admitted.

Judy tempted fate and put her tranquilizer gun back in the baby bag. "Where did you even get this information?"

"It would seem, Judy, that we have a mutual friend in the FBI." Adam rolled his eyes at the animal who just walked into the kitchen.

"Hehehe. This is some delicious cake, you know that?" Savage leaned in the entryway to the kitchen as he stuffed his face with chocolate cake. "Now, now, Nicky boy. Play nice." Savage gestured for Nick to holster his tranquilizer gun.

Nick complied. "Savage you have some explaining to do."

"What? I just brought the gang together. And by the way, Adam has full immunity from investigation and interrogation." Savage smiled at the unamused looks on Nick and Judy's faces. "You should be thanking this guy. He was the one who tipped old Bogey off about all this purification business."

Judy looked up to Adam. "You were the colleague that Bogo mentioned?"

Adam sighed as he relaxed his entire body. "My past put me in somewhat of a unique situation. Bogo needed names, and I had my father's lists. I was a whistle blower."

Savage laughed at that. "And boy, he sang like a bird. I will say that the mammals in the high castles don't condone his reckless activities, but they can't argue with results."

"So what's exactly going on here?" Judy asked Savage.

"Well, I'm hoping you guys will be willing to overcome your differences and work together. One of our operatives, she has a talent for being transparent, she got information on some mysterious stuff that the NP's were cooking up. Something called Project Sleeping Cat. Interested?"

Adam automatically stuck his paw out to Nick. "Partners?"

Nick looked at Adam's paw reluctantly but shook it all the same. "Partners."

Adam offer his paw to Judy. "Partners?"

Judy followed Nick's example. She returned the shake and nodded. "Partners"

"Hehehe." Savage laughed. "This is gonna be good."


	27. Chapter 27

Whiplash

Chapter 27 "Baby It's Cold Outside"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily felt a warmth growing in her heart when her mother smiled the moment she got her first look at the wolf that had won her daughter's heart. "It's a pleasure to meet you Adam."

Adam bowed a little, with respect. "It's an honor Miss."

Rose Clawhauser did an aside to her daughter. "Very chivalrous, but not as tall as I expected."

"Mom." Lily groaned a bit in embarrassment as Adam could very clearly hear her mother giving her opinion. "You're embarrassing me."

"What?" Rose smiled as if she had done nothing wrong. "It's my job to embarrass you, I'm your mother." She turned back to Adam. "I must say this is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. You know, lily used to have posters of all these muscular snow leopards in some pretty skimpy clothes. It's nice to see her take interest in an animal who actually wears long sleeves."

Lily buried her face in her paws as she grumbled to herself.

"Oh." Rose snapped her fingers as she remembered. "That's what I forgot. Lily, I forgot your baby book to show Adam all your pictures."

Lily breathed deep so as to let go of her frustration. "That's fine mom. Did you need any help with your bags?"

"Oh no, I got it. I ain't gonna let myself get frail by having others do everything for me." Rose smiled as she picked up the smaller of the two bags. "Adam would you mind carrying the other bag for me?"

Adam smiled as Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, miss." Adam picked up the large suitcase and carried it up the staircase behind Rose to the guest room.

Once both bags were on top of the bed, Rose thanked Adam. "Thank you. And, I would like to tell your parents how well they raised you, so gentleman like. Will they be joining us for Christmas Eve as well?"

Adam held off Lily who was about to say something. He'd seen this before with other people who asked him about his parents. He was done having other people speak about his parents on his behalf. "My parents have been _gone_ since I was in high school."

"Oh." A sad look overtook Rose's face. "I'm sorry to hear that." A sincere smile replaced her sadness. "They must have been wonderful parents, weren't they?"

Adam smiled. "Yeah, they were. They taught me a lot."

"That's good to hear." Rose hummed as she cracked open her suitcase. "Adam, would you mind stepping outside while I talk with Lily?"

"Go ahead. I'll just be in the kitchen, downstairs." Adam closed the door behind him and left the mother and daughter to themselves.

Lily sighed as she looked to her mother. "So, what do you think?"

Rose pursed her lips as she thought for a moment. "Well, he's kind. He certainly has that going for him. I don't know what you expect me to say. Does he make you happy?"

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't love him." Lily had done this with her mother before. She was always looking for her approval. It wasn't like she let her mother's judgement control her life. She just respected her. Approval from her mother gave her a piece of mind.

Rose smiled. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. When I married your father, he was always so adamant about making sure I was happy. It made all the difference. That's all I want for you. No matter what Adam is, if he makes you happy, I fully support your union."

Lily wrapped her arms around her mother. "Thanks mom. I love you so much."

"I love you too sweetheart." Rose smiled as her emotions overwhelmed her. Her little kitten was all grown up now. "Now, you said something about passing the first test?" Rose's face took on a serious look. "Do you even know what that means?"

"I think I do. But at the same time, I'm not entirely clear about its meaning." Lily held her paws up. "Here, look." Lily lit up her paws with pink ethereal magic. After waving them around a bit, she let the magic go out.

Rose's eyes went wide as she fished through her suitcase and pulled out a ring. Lily recognized the ring. It was the Phoenix's ring. "Lily, this was your father's. He told me to give it to you when you were ready. It's the emblem of our family's legacy. He had the same powers as you, though, he never used them. He feared that animals would reject him or that his powers would only bring trouble."

"Maybe I could use them for good." Lily suggested. "With all that's going on."

Rose placed the ring in Lily's paw. "I hope you can. Like that Whiplash character." Lily subconsciously laughed at that notion. "But please, be careful. Does Adam know?"

"Yes." Lily remembered his first reaction. I thought it was pretty cool. "He took it well." Lily knew that Adam was a whip cracking vigilante, so normal was relative to him.

"That's good to hear." Rose smiled. "There's something I have for you to give him." She dug in her suitcase again and pulled out a small wooden box. Opening the box, she showed off a silver ring with a wood inset. "This was your father's wedding band. I want you to give it to Adam."

Lily's eyes widened at the sight of the ring. She had seen this ring as well. It was the other ring that the Phoenix carried with her. "Thank you mom."

"For what?" Rose smiled.

"For giving me life, for feeding me, putting up with my less than respectable teenage years, thank you. Thank you for doing right by me." Lily embraced her mother again.

"Sweetheart," Rose hummed as she held tightly onto her daughter, "that's what mothers are for. Love." Rose pulled out of the embrace. "Now, where's my soon to be grandson?"

"He doesn't know yet, that I'm going to be his mother. I thought I'd tell him tomorrow for Christmas." Lily tucked the Phoenix ring and her father's wedding ring into her pocket. "Did you bring those ornaments for the tree like I asked."

"Yes." Rose pulled out a rattling cardboard box. "I brought the ones I thought you would like the best for your tree."

Lily left her mother to help Adam in the kitchen and put the new ornaments on the tree with Daniel. She had taken Adam's truck to get some extra groceries as well as run some errands she had planned out in her mind when she first got back. After parking the truck she began the hike across the plaza. The easiest way to get some of the items on her list was in the market that was being set up there. The plaza was a host to many events year round, especially during the Christmas season. Last Christmas there was an ice skating rink that was popular for years but didn't make enough revenue to keep it open this year. So in its place, a festive market was set up with seasonal gifts and homemade goods.

Lily stopped mid way across the plaza. She didn't know why, but it was like a memory whispered in her ear. She almost swore she could hear the faint battle cries of an alternate reality. Turning her head she noticed the old antique shop that stood as a hole in the wall. On the front there was a weathered sign that read, Closing Sale. Lily felt drawn to the shop. As she stepped inside she flinched at the cold fan that blew straight down.

Various antiques were strewn about. If there had been any other customers, they came and left already. An old goat in a black suit with round glasses stepped out from behind an old dresser he had tagged. "Are ye here for this here wardrobe? It's at a mighty good price." The old goat seemed excited to finally be rid of the thing.

"No thank you.," Lily said apologetically. "I don't really know why I'm here."

"Huh." The old goat nodded as he nibbled on a piece of paper that stuck out of his jacket's front pocket. "Do any of us really know? Perhaps that's the challenge." He looked around his mostly empty shop. "Well, I can't say I have much left. Maybe some tins perhaps? No, you're not a tin sort of girl, are you? No, definitely not. Wait." The old goat turned to a cardboard box. "Yes, there it is."

Lily watched as he opened up the box. "What is that."

"Caps my dear. Outdated and obsolete. But, maybe they're what you're looking for." The old goat dumped out the box onto the front desk.

Lily felt her heart flutter as she watched a number of old blue post office caps.

The old goat straightened his glasses. "Perhaps, these are what you're looking for? No one really likes post office memorabilia. I'll tell you what, I'll give you the whole lot for fifty."

Lily looked at each cap. Each one had a badge with a route number. She could place an animal's face with each number. "I'll take them."

The old goat smiled. "Alrighty then."

As the goat fiddled with his cash register, Lily looked through each hat until she got to one. She brushed over the number, 112. A smile came to her face as she remembered and placed the cap on her own head.

"Oh, very fashionable." The old goat smiled as he handed the box over to Lily. "I hope you don't mind, it is the Christmas season and all, but can you send this message to a friend of mine?"

"Sure. I'd be glad to help." Lily watched as the old goat scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "Who's the message for."

A big old grin overtook the goat's face. "It's for a friend of mine. His mother used to work in this shop for a while. He'd tag along. Great kid! He's so full of life. I tell you, this boy has the secrets of the universe in his back pocket, and he's barely looked at the lint in there. But mark my words, that kid'll do great stuff."

Lily couldn't help but smile. "Sounds like a wolf I know."

The old goat calmed down from the rant he just gave. "Anyway, just follow that address and you'll find that place he likes to hang around with his little girlfriend. He'll never admit it, but I know he's sweet on her." He gave a hearty laugh. "Tell him Larry sent it. It concerns the book he wanted from here."

Lily took the paper and the box. "Merry Christmas, Larry."

Larry smiled a whimsical smile. "Merry Christmas, Miss."

After getting everything on her list, Lily decided to go deliver the message. She drove down a back road that seemingly lead nowhere. Once she drove over a small bridge, she was surprised when she came face to face with a familiar building. The area was much different in daylight, but the scene by the bay was all too obvious to Lily. "Wilde Times?" There were several smaller buildings that lead up to the place. In the window of a smaller building that looked like a tailor shop, a sign read, "Wilde & Son."

A loud noise directed Lily's attention to the main building ahead. Several gazelles ran into the building followed by a smaller gazelle who seemed like she was yelling at them. Lily slowly approached the building and kept her footsteps light. Once inside she crept against the wall to listen in to what the commotion was all about.

"Keith! Don't hurt him. He did nothing wrong!" The young gazelle couldn't have been that old. She was probably a teenager based on the clothes she wore. Her short red mane barely draped over one side of her face.

"He's been hangin' with you, Liz! That's what he did wrong!" Keith was older along with his other friends. They all carried baseball bats and wore sweaters with the letters of their high school. "I'm gonna bust that _pred's_ face in!"

Lily frowned in anger at the gazelle's choice of words.

Keith started slamming the bat around and smashing up stuff with the other gazelles as Liz watched in horror. "Hobbes! Face me you coward!"

"Hey, Keith." One of the Gazelle's whispered and gestured to a crate. From behind the crate, an orange and black tail hung out. "Gotcha!" The gazelle brought his bat down on the tail. "What?" he pulled the tail out which was attached to a stuffed tiger. "Hey." A quick and tiny ricochet popped the loose rusty latch off of the crate. "Holy-." The gazelle was lost under the hundreds of purple tennis balls that came pouring out of the crate.

The other gazelle readied his bat. "Where is he?" Suddenly another ricochet spooked the gazelle into dropping his bat. When he tried to reach for his bat, a miniscule tiny brass object hit his hand. This sent him running.

Lily looked up. She could see a shadow up above wielding an orange tipped air rifle with a box of brass BBs by his side.

"Hobbes!" Keith looked everywhere for his hidden enemy. "Since it's Christmas, I'll only break your arm if you come out."

A laugh echoed through the rafters. "Yeah, you're not the best salesman with that line." The figure came sliding down a pole. He was a young tiger clad with a leather jacket and jeans with his air rifle slung over his back with a piece of rope tied onto it. " _I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed._ "

Liz stepped forward. "Adam, just run!"

"No, I'm done running from your thug of a brother." Adam stood his ground and waited.

Keith wasted no time in charging Adam with his bat. Adam dodged the bat and ripped it away from Keith's grasp to throw it away. As he did though, Keith grabbed him and tossed him into a booth riddled with various equipment.

Liz ran up to Keith and started hitting him. "Stop it, Keith! Leave him alone!"

Keith grabbed his sister's arm and slammed her to the floor. "I don't want you seeing this loser again! Now go home."

Lily was about to intervene but before she could do anything, a white mass darted through the air into Keith's stomach. It was a t-shirt.

Keith hit the floor and looked up to see Adam with a t-shirt launcher, already reloaded. "Who do you think you are?"

The tiger flipped the switch on the side of the t-shirt launcher. "The PSI goes higher than that. I don't want to hurt you, but I will defend myself."

Keith shook his head as he stood up. "You're dead meat, Adam Hobbes."

Adam smiled. "How's Lucy?"

Keith froze. "What did you say? What did you say?!"

"You know, I'm sure your parents would be very upset if they found out the police almost caught you when you snuck into Lucy Horn's house. But I'm sure you're a reasonable guy, and you won't force me to tell them any of that." Adam dropped the gun and walked right up into Keith's face. "Now, _out of my sight! Thou dost infect my eyes_."

Keith just frowned as he angrily turned and dragged his dizzy friend from the mess of tennis balls.

Liz looked angrily at the tiger. "You didn't have to do that."

"Elizabeth, you said it yourself. He's so used to having everything his way." Adam shot back.

The two were silenced by Lily who stepped in on their conversation. She had seen enough. "Adam?"

The tiger looked curiously at Lily. "What's with the hat? Are you a letter carrier?"

Lily smiled once she saw the young tiger's face up close. He was so young with a light that sparkled in his eye. There was so much she wished she could tell him, but that was a different time. "Yes, I'm a Captain of the Post Office Battalion. I have a message for you from Larry." Lily handed Adam the paper.

A smile grew on his face. "Well, well, well. It looks like your Christmas present came in, Elizabeth."

Liz tried to hold her frown, but she just couldn't. "I hate you sometimes." A smile broke through her anger.

"No you don't." Adam winked as he went to retrieve a motorized bike from behind a booth. "Post Office Battalion you said?"

Lily remembered the story of a tiger, lost in the world, who unified animals with an idea. If he could do it, why couldn't she. "Yes, we're a small growing club of messengers and talented animals who spread hope through service to others. We give our talents and time so that we may better the lives of others." Lily pulled out the extra post office cap she had brought with her. "We could use someone like you. We don't have any official members in Zootopia yet."

"What did I do?" Adam laughed. "I was just trying to save my hide."

Lily stepped forward and placed the cap on Adam's head. "You show a certain courage and bravery."

The tiger rolled his eyes. "Stupidity is another word for it." He yanked the cap from his head. "I almost got myself hurt, and I almost got Elizabeth hurt as well."

"But," Lily pointed out, "you didn't hurt anyone did you? Didn't you end the conflict peacefully?"

"Yeah," Adam looked at the cap and examined the metal badge with the number, "but I'm no hero."

Liz grabbed Adam's arm. "You are too a hero. Don't think so lowly of yourself, Adam. You're the only one I know that stood up to anyone in school. All those jocks and guys like my brother. You never let them get you down or give up defending every animal that has potential. You're the only one I know who actually cares about your friends. If Anthony were hearing this from you, he'd be saying the same thing. You are a hero. At least, you're a hero to me."

Lily smiled at this surreal moment. "That sounds like a captain to me. Maybe even an admiral."

Adam gave a weak smile. "Really?" The tiger shivered as Liz placed the cap back on his head and smiled at him. "Well, what do I have to do to join this Post office battalion?"

"Do good in the world wherever and whenever you can. Help others. Serve those in need. Stand up for the meek. Be creative. Anyone can join, but they won't know what they're joining if you don't wear that cap. It's a symbol for the hopeful message of what may come in the future. We are carriers of the good word, of peace, and hope for all who need it." Lily's felt the same joy that spread across Adam's face. "Remember the motto. Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. So, Adam, would you be willing to act as the Captain of the newly formed Zootopia District?"

The tiger straightened the cap on his head as he furrowed his brows. "Is this just some story you're telling?"

Lily sighed at Adam's doubt. "Aren't we all stories in the end, in the adventure of life?"

A grin grew on Adam's face as he brought his arm and paw into a salute. "Neither snow nor rain…"

When Lily drove home, she couldn't stop smiling as she thought about the future. Did she have a hand in shaping it? Would anything ever come of it? All these ideas flooded her head. It filled her up with hope. She tried to recall the tiger she once met in her little adventure in time. She might very well have been the one who fanned the spark into a flame. The notion of setting an animal on the course to a brighter future made her feel like a hero.

As she carried the groceries up to the house, she smiled at who was standing at the door. "Hi Nick. Kit?"

"Hi." Kit played with her paws as she avoided Lily's gaze. "I wanted to apologize. It was wrong of me to tell you how to live your life. If Adam is who you love, then okay. Can you ever forgive me?"

Lily set down the groceries. "I asked Nick to invite you, didn't I?"

Kit looked hopefully up at Lily. "Really? Just like that?" Nick picked up the groceries and took them inside while Kit talked with Lily.

"Yeah." Lily smiled at her friend. "It's too much work to hate people. And, you're the last person I ever want to be angry with. My friend."

Kit jumped up and hugged Lily. "Us girls gotta stick together."

"Always." Lily hugged her friend, hoping never to have to let her go again.

As the evening came around, Lily was happy and content with the sight before her. Daniel was intently listening as Rose told him christmas stories from her own childhood. Nick and Kit were setting presents under the tree as they took a moment to admire each ornament. Adam was smiling back at Lily as he watered the tree. Judy carried little Judy as she was talking to her brother Jacob, his wife Theo, and her cousin Benjamin as they looked over the treats that Grant Cowden was serving.

Lily hummed to herself as her Adam finished watering the tree and walked over to her side. "Hey."

"Hey." Adam set the watering pot down and brought an arm around Lily's shoulder. "Are you ready?"

Lily kissed her fiance. "Of course." The two walked into the living room together. "Everybody! I'd like to go on with a quick gift exchange. Now, I know it's not Christmas but it was always a tradition in my parents home to give one special gift on Christmas Eve."

Daniel's face lit up. "I like that tradition!" His outburst merited a laugh from everyone in the room.

Adam knelt down and picked up a present that was wrapped up like a candy with the wrapping paper twisted at the ends. "Grant this one is for you."

"From my experiences with _your_ presents in your youth, I would expect nothing less than a snake in a can of nuts." Grant ripped open the paper and unrolled what was inside. It was a tuxedo t-shirt.

Nick smirked as he nodded. "Looking good."

"Am I to understand this is my new uniform?" Cowden hummed his laughter. "Thank you, Master Wolff."

Lily picked up to presents and handed them each to her mother and to Adam. "I hope you guys like these."

Rose opened hers first. "Oh, what a lovely scarf. Oh my!" Rose continuously pulled out the scarf which extended well past twenty feet.

Lily laughed as her mother already got tangled in the ridiculously long scarf. "Consider that my white elephant gift after what you gave me last year."

Rose shook her head with a pouty smile. "Wherever did you even acquire such a scarf?"

"Some stranger offloaded it onto me, said I could have it. He was mumbling about how fezzes were cooler or something like that." Lily watched as Adam opened his.

"A new apron?" Adam unrolled it all the way and chuckled when he saw what it said. "Kiss the Cook?"

"I most certainly will." Lily leaned in and kissed Adam on the cheek.

Nick hopped down and pulled Kit with him. "Kit. I wanted to say thank you for joining me tonight. You're an amazing fox, and I don't know any other way to say this. I have a special present for you." The room went quiet as Nick lowered himself to one knee and pulled out a ring. "Katherine Fawkes, will you marry me?"

Kit looked all around the room, terrified. "Nick." She steadied her gaze into Nick's eyes. "Why?"

Nick took a deep breath. "I let you go once, and I hurt you. I don't ever want to make that mistake again. So, what do you say?"

A tear fell from Kit's eye. "Yes."

Lily was happy for her friend, that was until she looked over at Judy. Lily knew that look anywhere. It was nothing short of devastation. What was more heartbreaking was the fact that Judy smiled for her friend and tried to clap. "Daniel." She figured she would talk with her later.

The you young stag smiled brightly up at LIly. "Yes?"

"Daniel, there's a special present I have for you. Come here." Lily sat by the base of the tree and pulled out a bow. "Here you go."

Daniel looked at the bow. "There's a string." He tugged on the string. "Where does it go?"

"Why don't you find out?" Lily pointed in the direction of where the string led.

Daniel began to follow the string. He followed it all the way around the tree, and when he tugged on it he saw that the other end was tied onto Lily's wrist. "Lily why is this string tied to you?"

"Daniel. I don't know if you understand completely, but your father and I are going to get married. Do you know what that means?" Lily watched as Daniel's eyes grew. "I'm going to be your mother."

Daniel jumped up and wrapped his little arms around Lily as much as he could. "I knew it! I knew you'd come home."

Lily just stayed there in the moment. She embraced her son. She embraced him as Adam knelt by their side and hugged them both. "I love you Daniel."

Daniel sniffed away his growing tears as he smiled. "I love you too mommy."

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room. That was everyone except Judy. Lily noticed that Theo and Jacob were watching little Theo to come over, she walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Judy? You okay in there?"

The faint sound of sniffling ceased.

Lily frowned as she leaned her head against the door. She could still hear shaky breathing.

Theo came along. "What's wrong?"

"It's Judy." Lily gestured to the bathroom.

Theo spoke softly through the door. "Can I come in."

Judy simply responded, "Yeah."

Theo nodded to Lily. When Lily opened the door, she found herself hurting when she found Judy curled up, leaning against the wall. Closing the door behind her and Theo, the two sat down against the door.

Judy began to breath in an almost angry fashion. "That stupid old fox."

Lily splayed her ears back at the tone of Judy's voice. "Nick?"

"No." Judy shook her head with her face hidden behind her knees.

"Todd? From the apartments?" Theo asked.

Judy lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy from tears. "Yes, him. He put this stupid idea in my head that Nick could be anymore that a friend. I actually let myself think it was possible. I've been fighting it for so long. I kept trying to tell myself that it wasn't true, that we were just friends, partners."

Theo scooted closer to her sister in law. "So, you're jealous of Kit?"

"No!" Judy lowered her voice so that she wouldn't start crying out loud. "I feel sorry for him because she doesn't respect him. She never has and never will. He deserves so much better. Dangit, why did I do this to myself?"

Lily remembered her promise to the alternate Nick. She watched as that promise unraveled before her eyes. "He deserves better?" At the same time though, she knew that Kit was luck to find someone. She didn't want to tear that down for her friend. At the same time, she didn't want Judy to be like this either.

Judy shook her head. "I don't know why I ever thought it could work between us. Once he opened up to me, I saw that he was a nice guy. He was great. No, he was more than great. Of all the jerks I met back home, Nick was better than them all. Once we understood each other, he was so supportive." Judy's tears began to pick back up. "Judy, Nick was holding her when she called him _dada_. She called him daddy. And right then and there, I wanted to shout from the roof tops how I felt. But, I kept my mouth shut because I knew he loved Kit. I just never thought, I never thought he'd actually ask her."

A knock came at the door. "Hey, Carrots. You didn't drink too much egg nogg did you?"

Judy stood up and rammed the door open so fast it smashed Nick's nose. She walked right past him and towards the front door.

"Hey, car- Judy! What's wrong?" Nick was stopped by Adam who just shook his head.

Adam sighed. "Just give her some air."

Lily shut the bathroom door again. There was an opportunity at hand. One down, one to go.

Theo stared at Lily. "What are you doing?"

Lily locked the door. "What do you know about Novus Purificatio?"

Theo frowned at that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar." Lily deadpanned. "You're a puritan spy, and you know it."

Theo shook her head. "You're speaking nonsense." She went to open the door.

"Maybe I should tell Jacob." Lily partially opened the door but found that it was forcefully shut by Theo.

"No." Theo began to shake her head. "Whatever you want, leave him out of it."

Lily took a moment to really look at Theo's face. "What? Did they promise not to hurt Jacob if you did what they asked?"

Theo looked as though she was staring death in the face. "I don't have a choice anymore."

Lily pulled a silver tube out of her pocket. "You always have a choice. Even if they got that stuff jammed in your head. Their threats are hollow. The police can and will protect you. Adam and I will protect you. We'll all protect you."

"Please." Theo shook her head. "They'll kill him if I disobey or resist the device."

Lily clicked a button on the tube and watched as Theo went cross eyed. Catching her, Lily carried her out of the bathroom and set her down by a very confused Jacob.

"Judy just ran off, what's got into Theodosia?" Jacob rested his wife's head in his lap and felt her forehead to check if she had a fever.

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "Too much egg nogg?" Seeing that Theo was awake and listening, Lily gave her a wink.

The night could have gone smoother. Tensions were high. It seemed like _this_ Christmas was going to be a tough one. Then when it came time for Daniel had to go to bed, it seemed to get better. Tucking Daniel in for the first time on Christmas eve gave Lily that feeling again. She was making a difference, just by being in Daniel's life. He would have a mother and a father. His whole life was ahead of him with his now completed family.

Kit sat next to Lily on the couch. "You seem pretty chipper considering what happened with Judy, running out the way she did."

Lily's smile as she looked around the now empty living room. Her cousin had gone back to his apartment, Jacob took Theo home after she _got sick_ , Rose was asleep in the guest room, and Grant was cleaning up in the kitchen. It had also started to rain. "Where's Nick?" Lily looked up as the rain pelted the roof and surrounding area outside. It wasn't called the Rainforest District for nothing.

"Nick went to go check on Judy. Honestly, I think she's fine and he's just gonna end up smothering her." Kit crossed her arms. "He should be here with me. I mean, he just proposed to me."

Lily felt odd when she heard her friend say that. "But, she's his friend. Even if you were on a date with Nick, wouldn't you come to see me if I was in trouble?"

Kit huffed. "I suppose you're right."

Lily felt something. It was faint, but she knew it all too well. It was that feeling that made her feel sick. She hoped it was just the food she ate. "You don't seem to like Judy."

Kit shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't get what Nick sees in her. I don't know. It almost seems like he cares about her, in more than a friendly way."

The feeling came again. "What are you suggesting?"

Kit clicked her tongue in thought. "You don't suppose he liked her, do you? That would be weird. I mean, he's a predator and she's a _prey_. It's not like that would ever work. They're too different."

"What about me and Adam." Lily felt sicker and sicker with each time her friend talked.

Kit laughed. "At least you and Adam are _both_ predators. What are you suggesting?" Lily didn't respond, she just stared listlessly before her friend. "No, you can't be serious. Does she, does she have feelings for him, for _my_ Nick?"

Lily swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's not my place to say."

Kit hummed a bit at this new information. "Well, too bad for her. Looks like I got him first." She laughed again. "A rabbit and a fox, that's just ridiculous." She shook her head at the notion. "Anyways, he's mine now. We're engaged. Veni, vidi, vici."

Lily froze. "What did you just say?" The feeling came back. After repressing it for so long, the feeling came back with a vengeance as fear swept through her body. She knew those words, those awful words.

"You know, that old saying. Veni, vidi, vici." Kit repeated herself. "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Lily's heart began to race as her blood boiled inside her. A sense of rage, fear, and resentment swept over her. Those were the words the Raven had spoken to her before he was killed by the Phoenix. Only it wasn't a he, but a she. Lily remembered how small the Raven appeared in person. Kit was about the same height. The way she spat out the word prey and the way she ridiculed Judy, heartlessly. Lily had just learned the terrible truth. The Phoenix spoke about how she avoided killing the Raven for the longest time. Now, Lily knew why. How could she effortlessly kill her own friend? She couldn't. Lily tightened her fist as Kit smiled. "How can you smile like that?"

Kit looked curiously at Lily. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Lily fought her emotions. "You've attacked innocent animals. You killed animals. You killed the Big family, and you kidnapped me from _my_ family. And, for what? Prejudice? Pride?" Lily stood up and backed away from Kit. "How can you sit there and smile like that, Raven."

A flash of lightning was followed by a clap of thunder as the rain continued to pour down on the roof. Kit frowned. "You better watch yourself, Lily. You might say something you regret."

The stairway creaked as little footsteps came down. "Mom? I can't sleep."

Lily darted around the couch and shielded Daniel. "It's okay. Just go up to our room, your father's getting ready for bed. You can sleep with us tonight. Run along now."

"Okay." The young deer yawned as he made the hike back upstairs.

Lily thought about Daniel. He was a deer, prey, and the leader of Novus Purificatio was standing in her house. She turned around and faced Kit. "You should go."

"Lily, don't do this." Kit slowly approached her. "I'm your friend. You know I would never hurt you."

"You kidnapped me. You tried brainwash me. That's what that virtual reality was. You tried to make me forget about my family." Lily backed up the stairs, ready to run if she had to.

"Lily, stop. You don't understand what you're talking about." Kit stopped her approach when she noticed how Lily retracted. "I was trying to help you, I would never hurt you."

"What about Adam? What about Daniel?" Lily practically hissed at Kit who frowned at the mention of the deer's name. "That's right, my son. If you hurt him, you hurt me. I saw what you did in that paradox."

Kit's eyes lit up. "It worked? It actually worked?"

Lily shook her head, exasperated. "That's not a good thing. You blackened the skies, and you burned the land. Animals died."

"There are always casualties in war." Kit said without remorse.

"Do you even hear yourself? You killed innocent animals who did nothing wrong. Adam died, and you almost killed Daniel." Lily felt rage pump through her bones as Kit smiled. "But didn't win, and you never will."

Kit scoffed at Lily. "Who could stop me? You?!"

"Yes!" Lily shouted. Kit was taken aback by this. "I did. I will stop you. Whatever it takes to make sure the world is safe from you, I will not hesitate if you force my hand."

Kit smirked. "You." Then she began to laugh. "You? What could you possibly do." Kit reached into her pocket. "You couldn't hurt a fly. All those years on crutches have made you soft. And Adam, he's just your new crutch." She pulled her paw out of her pocket with a switchblade in her grasp. "You? What could you possibly do?"

Lily furrowed her brow as she looked at the knife. "Big mistake." Lily's paw began to glow as she snatched the knife from Kit's grasp. "You think I'm weak? You just threatened my family. You've just made me the most dangerous person in this room." Lily focused her magic and forced the blade to curl in front of Kit's eyes before letting it drop to the floor. "Now go. Leave me and my family be. And don't you ever threaten them again, or else I will come after you. I will run your plans into the ground. I will stop you."

Kit knelt down to pick up the curled knife. "What if I just kill them?"

"Leave." Lily pointed to the door and followed Kit to make sure she was out.

Kit stepped out into the rain. As it soaked her fur, the look on her face only grew more cruel. "I'll never forgive him. For what they did."

Lily forced the door shut and locked it with the deadbolt and the chain. Fighting her tears, she ran upstairs. Opening the door to her and Adam's room. Lily smiled at the sight of her son, sound asleep on center of the bed. Adam switched off the light to the master bathroom.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Adam brushed her paw with his and held on to it.

Lily led Adam back into the master bathroom and closed the door so Daniel wouldn't hear. "I know who the Raven is."

Adam blinked in surprise. "Really? Who? Who is he?"

Lily shut her eyes as tears began to well up. "Kit. She's the Raven."

Adam saw the devastation in Lily's face. "I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around her and rocked with her in his embrace. "Lily, I'm sorry."

"We have to tell Nick." Lily sobbed. "We have to tell him, and Judy."

Adam cupped Lily's face in his paw. "Hey, hey. Okay." He wiped the tears from her cheek. "We'll tell him tomorrow. But first, let's go to bed. We don't want Daniel to be alone with the storm going on."

Lily opened the door to the master bedroom, but when she looked at the bed, Daniel wasn't there. "Daniel? Daniel!"

Daniel came back into the room with a blanket in his grasp. "I just wanted to get another blanket."

Adam shut the door as Lily took Daniel in her arms and hugged him like there was no tomorrow. "Daniel don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry mom." Daniel cooed.

"It's okay." Lily whispered in Daniel's ear. "It's okay. Let's just go to bed. Tomorrow is Christmas, sweetheart."

As Lily laid in bed that Night, she couldn't find the will to sleep. Her mind was muddled with thoughts, and fear. She feared that if she fell asleep, the Raven would come and get her. Kit wasn't her friend anymore. She wasn't the friend she knew. That friend was long gone. Whatever it was that stood in her place was something else.

"Dad, ma- no. Don't hurt them." Adam was talking in his sleep. His face twitched as nightmares flashed through his mind.

Lily reached over and gently stroked his face. This steadied his breath. His twitching ceased as Lily traced her paw down his arm and to his paw. She held it tightly. Looking down, Lily smiled at Daniel who had curled up between them. Lily could see the clock on Adam's bedside table turn from eleven fifty nine PM to twelve o'clock AM. "Merry Christmas Daniel. Merry Christmas Adam." Lily finally felt peace as she watched her boys sleep. "I promise, I'll protect you." Lily felt her eyes get heavy as the thunder faded into the gentle rain in the sounds of Christmas morning.


	28. Chapter 28

Whiplash

Chapter 28 "Skyfall"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick sat in his cubicle. Silence taunted his senses. It wasn't a true silence as you could never fully escape sound. It was the silence of the ZPD. The typing of keyboards and pen scratches echoed through the walls as handcuffs rattled next to keys on belts. He read through the report, over and over again. Nick felt like he couldn't breath. The news didn't help either. The same thing in the report was on the news. The world was falling apart all over again and Nick hated it. He hated that he was wrong again. He was wrong about Kit.

Nick looked over to where Judy's cubicle was. She wasn't there.

"She's still gone Nick." The voice Officer Pennington broke Nick from his dazed expression. "She's been off since Christmas. Chief Tigre let her have the time to take care of her goddaughter." The elephant pat Nick on the shoulder with her trunk.

"Thanks, Francine." Nick fell back into his state as he stared again at the report. He looked at the new calendar that hung on the wall of his cubicle.

"Tell Judy we all miss her here, if you see her." Officer Pennington walked off as the other officers quickly glanced over at Nick.

Nick could feel their eyes on him. "What?! Got something to say?" The other officers quickly looked away and went back to their own business. Nick returned his gaze to the calendar. Judy had given it to him. The bow was pinned to the wall next to it. Three red Xs crossed off the first three days. The report mocked Nick as it burned in his paws. "Why?" Nick whispered to himself. "Is this how it's always gonna be?" He looked over at the evidence bag with the engagement ring he had bought Kit. It wasn't his grandmother's ring. That was the only good consolation. Nick couldn't imagine what his grandmother would think if her ring ended up in an evidence bag.

"Wilde." Tigre knocked on the entrance to Nick's cubicle. "How you holding up?"

"Good." Nick started to read through the report again. "Any word on Bogo?"

Tigre tilted his head to glance over Nick to see the report. "He'll be back next week. I'm more worried about you right now."

"Do you expect me to say something? What _can_ I say?" Nick threw down the report next to the ring.

Tigre focused on his breathing as Nick's serenity only deteriorated further. "Nick, you didn't know. You couldn't have known."

"Yeah? Well I should have!" Nick slammed the desk. "It happened again! And, Judy won't even talk to me. Did she talk to you? Did she know about Kit?"

"She didn't know." Tigre shook his head. "Nick, it's gonna be alright."

"How can you say that?!" Nick coughed as his throat went dry. "How can you possibly think that it's going to be alright? I must have been a complete idiot to not see the truth! I hurt my partner and friend. The worst part? I don't even know what I did because she won't talk to me. No Tigre, it's not going to be alright."

Tigre picked up the folder with the report and the ring in its bag. Opening the folder he read, "At 09:42, on December 25, an anonymous tip was given concerning the identity of the Raven, the leader of Novus Purification. The tip suggested that Katherine Fawkes was the animal behind the black mask. After searching her apartment, extensive incriminating evidence _was_ found." Tigre stopped reading.

Nick rested his forehead on his paw as he stared into empty space. "I had to go into her apartment, and I watched as a crew picked through all of her stuff. Other officers interrogated me for the purpose of the investigation. I had to answer questions I'd never thought I would've been asked. Can you understand how devastating that is, to be on the other side of an investigation like this?"

"I try never to understand anything, Nick. It holds us back from being open." Tigre closed up the report and tucked it under his arm. "I'm putting these away. When they let go of the ring, do you want it back?"

Nick shook his head. "Pawn it, sell it, I honestly don't care."

Tigre reached over and grabbed Nick by the shoulder. "Hey. Just take it easy. Take the day off. The last thing I, Bogo, or Judy would ever want to see, is you getting stressed out to the point where you can no longer function."

Nick took tigre's advice. He caught a taxi that took him a little ways past downtown to a place he never thought he would ever venture again. Nick could see shop owners still taking down Christmas decorations. It made him feel more sick with where he was going. The last time he'd been here, his father had passed away. Nick stepped out of the taxi after he paid the driver. The neon sign overhead glowed like a flame that drew helpless moths in for the slaughter. Nick paid no mind to the fact that he was one of those moths.

Pushing open the door, Nick looked at all the other faces that sat in the bar. Some looked as miserable as he. Others, they were lost in a lie. An old donkey was passed out in a booth with an empty bottle of dreams that had been flushed away long ago ever since the old fella started wearing two rings on a chain. A lion was entertaining a scantily dressed lioness who only cared for the money and drinks he could afford and not the pain in his eyes. A llama had his ballcap pulled low as he listened to the chatterbox of a television that was the only escape from his routine lifestyle that he'd been trapped in. Nick had seen them all before. Familiar stories with different faces welcomed him as he took his own swiveling throne at the long countertop of lost souls.

"Wilde?" The faceless bartender cleared his throat as he washed the same glass over and over for the sake of looking occupied. "Haven't seen you here in a long while."

"Well, I'm back." Nick cut past the niceties. "Just get me whatever's strong." He tossed his useless cash at the bartender.

The bartender came back with a bottle and a shot glass. He poured. As the vessel poured its amber liquid into a shot glass, Nick could see some glimpse of a superficial hope. His fingers itched as he forced his grip around the edges of this old friend he hadn't seen in forever. Raising it up, he saluted to the ghost of his father. "To life." Nick shook as the glass tipped up and the gold poison burned his throat and made him relax.

"Nick?" The voice of reason entered through the doors to the bar.

Nick clumsily dropped his glass on the countertop as he peeled his attention away to see who had called his name. "Judy? What are you doing here? Where's little Judy?"

Judy stepped forward into the den where Nick thought only madness lived. "She's with Jacob and some of the Bigs. I wanted to see you."

"How did you find me?" Nick watched in astonishment as Judy yanked a newspaper from a familiar face hiding in the corner. "Savage?"

Savage looked at Judy, knowingly. He spoke no words as he folded up his newspaper and went on his way.

Judy took a seat on the stool next to Nick's. "Nick, I heard. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Nick half laughed at the cruel joke. She felt sorry. He felt sorry. What did sorry even mean?

Judy pushed the glass and bottle away from Nick and held onto his arm. "Nick, there's something I wanted to tell you. You should know."

Nick shook his head. "No." He closed his eyes from the world. He had seen that look before in Kit's eyes when she asked for a second chance. "I can't do this."

"Nick," Judy grabbed his paw, "I have to tell you." Judy wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell of Nick's drink. "I don't know why I kept myself from telling you. But, you should know. Nick, I-."

"Stop. I can't do this." Nick grabbed at his ears.

Judy felt her heart shatter as she grabbed his paw only tighter. "Nick, please. Just let me tell you how I feel."

Nick could feel his drink as it warped his mind. "I can't do this! Stop. Don't tell me you love me. Not now, not like this. Please Judy," Nick dropped his head on the counter, "Just stop. I can't love anyone like this. I don't need love right now."

Judy released Nick's paw. "Then what do you need? Nick, tell me what you need."

"A partner." Nick filled his glass again. "Right now I just need someone I can trust, someone who won't lie to me. I just need a partner."

Judy nodded as she reached into her back pocket. "Okay." Judy slammed some cash on the counter as she addressed the bartender. "I'll have what he's having. Keep the change."

Nick nearly choked on his second drink when he heard Judy. "What? What are you doing?"

Judy looked up at Nick with sincere eyes. "I'm having a drink with my partner."

And so, here our heroes sat.


	29. Chapter 29

Whiplash

Chapter 29 "Wild World"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Jacob Hopps read through the article again and again as Theo slept on the couch across from him. The article titled " _The Purer Truth_ ," by Lily Clawhauser, was a detailed and thorough analysis of the discussion that the author had authorities at the ZPD about Novus Purification. He couldn't believe some of it. He wouldn't have believed most of it if it weren't for the fact of what his wife had told him. Mind control? It sounded crazy. Police were running around with these little metal tubes that generated an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to deactivate the devices that were controlling animals. It all almost sounded like a science fiction novel, like one of his own stories. Though, it was real now. It was actually happening.

Jacob forced his eyes from the article after reading it for the thirtieth time. It held so little information and absolutely no answers to the true question that were on his brain. Walking over to the couch, he brushed his fingers around Theo's ears. There was fur that had been shaved off and a bandage that covered the stitches on her head. Jacob remembered how scared he was when he was told that his wife had to have one of these mind control devices removed. But now she was safe; she was out of harm's way. Jacob didn't mind the safehouse, he didn't mind the guards, and he most certainly didn't mind not leaving. It was the fact that his family didn't know where he was that got to him. He knew it was very well possible that his sister knew, but she wouldn't let something so important in a situation like this slip to the rest of their family.

Theo was Jacob's biggest comfort. Knowing that she was alive and well, that came as his biggest relief. He elected to sit by her side until she woke. Watching her sleep, he thought about their relationship. Could it be possible that she only loved him because she was told to through this mind control? Jacob decided that was a stupid conclusion. Even if it were true, Theo would have told him if that were the case. He fought off the dark notions, the horribly possibilities of his love turning against him at the flip of a switch.

Theo stirred until she stretched into a yawn. "Jacob?" The bobcat stretched her paw out and pulled Jacob into a spooning position. "What time is it?"

Jacob hummed into a smile as he laid by his wife. "It's six in the morning."

Theo groaned. "It's early. How are you ever up this early." Then she realized. "Wait, were you up all night again?

"Yeah." Jacob admitted.

Theo huffed as she tightened her grip around her husband. "I told you, just relax till this whole thing blows over."

"How can I relax with what's going on?" Jacob sighed as sleep teased him but still never came. "We're in hiding from the very people who used you and manipulated you."

"Their secret is out though, they're more vulnerable than they ever were before. The police have a way to free everyone who's under their control." Theo rubbed her chin into the fur of Jacob's head. "It'll all be over soon."

Jacob recalled one of his lingering questions that he had held off for the longest time. "What did _they_ make you do?"

"I don't remember." Theo tried her best. "It was like I was dreaming. But, do you know how you can't seem to remember a dream no matter how hard you try? It's like that."

Jacob sighed. "So, they really threatened you?"

Theo shivered at the memory of when two NP's showed up and forced her to submit to the brain implants. "They threatened to kill you if I didn't comply. I could never live with myself if anything happened to you."

"I understand." Jacob felt sleep finally take over him. "It's going to be fine."

Several hours passed before Jacob woke. He was a little concerned when he awoke by himself on the couch. Hearing that the shower in the bathroom was running, he calmed down. Sitting up, he popped the joints in his back before he searched for the remote. Finding it on the coffee table, he turned on the television. It was old, but at least it was loud enough to hear.

" _Well Jim, I'm standing at the scene here where Police are wrapping up their investigation of exactly what it was that happened yesterday. As we've come to understand, an NP attack was put to a screeching halt when a young tiger intervened. According to eyewitnesses, he was going door to door with some friends doing service for the neighborhood when he heard the screams."_ The scene changed to the face of an elderly moose.

" _I was sitting on my porch when these boys came up to my house, with these funny looking post office hats, and asked if there was anything they could do for me. I told him, okay. You can paint my fence. Then there was this loud scream from the alley way. I was worried because I knew a lot of kids used that area as a short cut. I assumed the worst, but this tiger, he asks me to go call the police. I did, and when I come out again I see these boys fighting these strange soldiers and take them down."_ The screen shifted back to the reporter.

" _The police arrived shortly after and arrested the NP suspects. Here's footage of one of of the victims of this attack, Keith Clover, and what he has to say about his unexpected rescuers."_

A gazelle being attended by a medic spoke. " _I was so scared that my sister and I were doomed. I honestly thought we were gonna die. But then, Adam and his friends came and saved our tails. I have more gratitude for him now than when I first knew him. He saved my sister. And, that was one of the greatest reliefs to know that my sister, Liz, was alright."_

The reported smiled as he stood in a different area. " _Now if you look behind me, you'll notice how white this fence appears. It's the same fence that the resident allowed these boys to paint. The police have told us that upon their arrival, the boys went to work immediately to finish painting the fence. The leader of this bunch, a tiger by the name of Adam Hobbes, has proclaimed that he was just doing what any good citizen would do. His friends all agree that they're dedicated to serving their community and doing all that they can to help."_

Jacob smiled at the incident. Finally, he thought, some cheerful good news.

The screen returned to the newsroom. " _Alrighty then Carl, thanks for the info. We just received some more info about this miraculous bunch of boys. Apparently they call themselves the Post Office Batallion. And instead of carrying letters, they carry service and a hopeful message about a brighter future. We've heard also that they have a growing number of members, local citizens from the various districts of Zootopia, including but not limited to members of the Neighborhood Watch, the Junior Ranger Scouts, and even a ZPD officer who was seen wearing his new postal hat as he and his partner helped an old couple cross the street. In other news, regarding the ZPD, police have geared up. As they've been apprehending more and more NP recruits, they're starting to look more like soldiers now than peace kee-."_

Jacob shut off the television. "Totalitarian Extremists trying to take over the world, Vigilantees, Post Office Batallion, Mind Control, and Militarized Police?" The rabbit laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Sounds like an interesting book." His eyes lit up for a moment as he thought about it. "Nah. not worth my time." Jacob brushed the idea away. "But, then again…" Jacob searched frantically for a notebook and paper.

Finally finding a composition book on the bookshelf and the first pen he could find, Jacob began to scribble down the words that poured from his mind. "It was the year twenty forty nine when the world seemingly cracked like an egg. No one really knew how or why it happened. Those that did were long since dead and forgotten under radioactive rubble in the form of ashen shadows. The world was broken. Animals panicked and became violent. The dark ages were suddenly upon us again. However, this broken world was not without order.

"Some form of life persevered. From the remnants of society, tribes and clans formed. Animals who had not lost their sanity rallied together those who were lost." Jacob paused as he tapped the pen against his forehead in thought. "Settlements rose up from the ashes of the old world. But, they remained divided by fear. Their determination to survive kept them isolated from one another. The settlements kept to themselves. In another part of the land, an ambitious mammal saw an opportunity. He sought to unify the settlements. Though, his plan to accomplish this was questionable. He wanted to rule as an unquestioned king with divine right. His followers grew and an army was formed. But, he did not trust his own soldiers to follow his precise orders. Pulling together his best scientists, he was able to use old world technology to control the minds of his armies. They no longer thought for themselves, they were as unstoppable as a hurricane. Their leader became known as the black bird, the Raven.

"Only one settlement dared to stand up to the Raven's army. The remnants of the police force had the weapons and tactics that gave them the chance of victory, but even they were not immune to the military might of the extreme obedience of the Raven's army. Hope seemed like it was lost. Then one day, a drifter came traveling from the north. After his family had all died in the nuclear winter, he decided to take his chances down south. He came across the Raven's army and was beguiled by their promise of unity. But, he found out the horrible truth about how false their claims were when he saw the destruction of settlements first hand. He fled.

"Hiding out in an old mail truck, he disguised himself with the uniform of the dead letter carrier. He roamed again, from settlement to settlement. Our drifter felt out of place with his new clothes, so he produced a story, a fictional tale to explain why he wore what he wore. He would explain that he was a postal carrier from the newly restored government known as Zootropolis. And though he secretly scoffed at his own tale. Many took his tale as a sign. Long after he traveled northward again, settlements began sending their own couriers and letter carriers to each other. They became unified as information flowed freely. They overcame their fear of each other, and their unity became the stumbling block of the Raven's forces."

Jacob smiled wide with each detail of the initial plot. "The settlements needed more though if they were to succeed. They needed a leader. So they sent their best carriers in search of the original drifter himself." He stopped when he heard the floor creak behind him. Theo was there.

"How do you do it?" Theo asked as she held a towel around her body.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "Write?"

"No," Theo circled around the couch, "how do you make it sound so real? I'll admit, some of your stories can be overwhelming, but they always sound believable."

Jacob closed the composition book in front of him. He scribbled a title out before setting it aside. "It does sound believable, doesn't it? It almost sounds real. That's strange. Why would something so _out there_ sound so real?"

"Well, it seemed real to me." Theo sat next to Jacob as she picked up the composition book. "Wild World?"

Jacob hummed at hearing the title. "It's a song title. I heard it on the radio the other day. It also gives me an idea for the main character. Maybe he'll say something along the lines, _it was harder to tell who was more savage, me or everyone else_."

Theo squinted her eyes in a quizzical way. "I feel like you stole that from something."

Jacob laughed. "Every writer steals from everything. We steal from life, we steal from our friends, we steal from our lovers," he brushed his paw over Theo's, "but it doesn't no matter what you steal, it won't make a difference. How you steal it, that's what makes all the difference."

Theo smiled as she held onto her husband's paw. "You stole my heart. Yes, you stole my heart in the best way. You convinced me to give it freely. And, there's no one else I would rather have it stolen by. But for a thief, you take good care of what you steal."

"A good thief always polishes the diamonds he steals, especially if you intend to keep them." Jacob moved in to kiss his wife.

The moment shattered with the glass windows of the house as animals dressed in black took out the guards and circled around Jacob and Theo. The two clung to each other as the whole wall came crashing down. Through it, the Raven came flying in on her mechanical wings which folded up upon landing. Pressing a button on the side of her head, the bird mask opened up to reveal her face. "Love, how disgusting."

"Kit?" Jacob stood up in anger. "You leave her alone! Don't you dare-."

Kit immediately shot Jacob with a tranquilizer dart that knocked him out cold. "Take him." She turned to her soldiers. "Lieutenant Tigre!"

A tall soldier stepped forward. "Yes sir!"

Kit grinned at the devastation in Theo's face. "Kill the traitor. Everyone else, meet me in the Rainforest District." With that the Raven closed her mask and took flight.

Each soldier left until only Lieutenant tigre remained. The glass from the windows cracked under his feet with each step he took. Taking off his mask, he was all to recognisable to Theo.

"Tigre?" Theo couldn't believe it. "How could you? Why would you do this? Why are you helping them? What about your wife?"

Tigre raised his rifle with the poison dart loaded and ready to go. "You all will pay for your crimes."

Theo saw there was no escape from the barrel pointed right at her. She closed her eyes. "Jacob!" She heard the dart fly, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was stuck in the side of the couch.

"The task is done." Tigre switched off the communicator that was built into the collar of his NP uniform. Theo stared up at him, still in disbelief that she was alive. "It's going to be okay Theo. But first, we need to get Jacob's sister on the horn."

"Judy?" Theo carefully stood up, still holding onto her towel. "I don't understand. What's going on?"

"I've been working as a double agent." Tigre pulled out a goldish metallic rod. "This is a tracking device. I've got the location of the Raven's base of operations. But, now is the time to act. They're weak right now. We have the chance to snuff out Novus Purificatio once and for all."


	30. Chapter 30

Whiplash

Chapter 30 "Warriors"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Judy marched through the police station .

Lily stared at her home as it burned.

Adam adjusted his mask as he waited, perched on a building corner.

The police station was buzzing with officers suiting up. The emergency alert had sounded throughout the city. Citizens were ordered to stay indoors and lock everything so as to be shielded from the oncoming showdown. Detective Hopps had suited up in her heavier gear. Various light armor plates protected her limbs from melee weapons and shielded her from darts. She watched as heavy duty police vehicles were helicoptered in, equipped with giant EMP cannons. Multiple police forces from neighboring cities had been arriving to assist the preparations for the oncoming storm. Judy could see hundreds of officers decked out with armor of their own. Riot shields were unpacked along with gas masks and tear gas. It all scared her, but she knew that this was inevitable. The NP's have been attacking more and more animals. Now they had their location. It was now or never. The threats had already come in as well. Novus Purification announced to the world that they would indeed march over the streets of Zootopia.

Judy headed back inside. Something was off, she knew it. Making her way back to the chief's office, she watched for a moment as Chief Bogo conversed with Tigre and the other police chiefs that had supplied their officers to the fight. "It's good to see you again Chief."

Bogo stared blankly at Judy. "My first day back, and we're already at war. This has been one heck of a case, and I can't wait to see it be over."

"Yes, sir." She left Bogo with the other police chiefs to their planning. That feeling crept up on her again. Something was wrong. She walked over by the cubicles. "Nick?" Judy looked in his cubicle, but he wasn't there. "Hey has anyone seen Nick?"

Fangmeyer Stood up in his cubicle as he fastened up his riot gear. "He didn't show up this morning. And, he didn't call in sick either."

Judy's ears fell as she feared the worst. She ran back to her desk and pulled her cell phone out of the desk. Nick's answering machine mocked her each time she called. Shoving her phone in her pocket, she made a mad dash for the motorpool. Looking around she spotted the old joke mobile that she used to drive as a meter maid. They'd fixed it up, after the fact of her getting her own interceptor. But, the keys were still in it, like always. It was the only thing available at the moment.

As fast as she could in the little car, Judy made her way to Nick's apartment. She made surprisingly good time, considering that the streets were completely empty. "Nick!" Judy ran up the stairs to Nick's apartment. The door had been broken down. Shoving some of the door fragments out of her way, Judy looked all around. The whole apartment looked like it had been turned upside down. Then Judy spotted it, the note on the wall. The note was held up by a black knife with a black feather tied to it.

Judy read the note. " _Come get you lover boy, dumb bunny, before he goes savage._ " Judy belt her heart stop when she noticed a blood splatter under the note on the wall. "Nick." She clenched her fist around the note. "I will find you."

Lily ran up to the burning house, but was stopped by firefighters who held her back. For all she knew, Adam and Daniel were burning alive in ther. One of the firefighters assured her that no one was in the house but that did nothing for her racing thoughts. She pulled out her phone as it rang in her pocket. The voice on the phone shook Lily to the core. "I got your son, your move." Lily's paw glowed as she crushed the phone in her grip. She turned tail and ran for the place she knew. Hidden in a nearby service tunnel, a hatch lead to an abandoned subway tunnel. At the end of the tunnel she opened another hatch that led to a bunker. Inside the bunker there was a number of scanners and computers along with a police scanner. Lily eyed the back wall where three glass cases stood tall. The first two had prototypes of Whiplash's battle suits while the third was empty of the most current design. Lily took the first suit and mask. Managing to fit into the legs, she was halted by the arms which were a little too small. So, she cut them off. Putting on the red belt with the hip holster, she eyed the weapons rack. Lily picked up a semiautomatic tranquilizer pistol with a high capacity extended magazine.

Taking a seat at the computer, Lily looked to see if there was anything to give her a clue as to where Adam might be. The missing suit meant he was out there, but where. She found a video that had recently been recorded less than two hours before the emergency alert. It was a video of Adam. Lily clicked play.

" _It was on Christmas that I learned about the true identity of the Raven. I was not surprised that any of this would happen. Now that she's exposed, she has less to lose. She's more dangerous now, but not just because of that._ " Lily watched as Adam rubbed tears from his face. " _When I first met Kit, I thought she looked familiar. I had indeed seen her before. Well before I knew she was my fiance's friend. It wasn't until Detective Wilde said her full name that I realized who she really was. Our pasts are entwined. I knew her before I had to change my name. But, I just knew her as Katherine then. She was one of the servant girls in the Doe household before the Wolfenstein massacre._ " Lily found herself holding back a gasp at this new information.

The video continued. " _She was the daughter of the head butler. I knew who she was because she was friend's with Penny's brother, Byron. When the war between the Wolfensteins and the Does erupted, many were killed. Kit's father was one of those animals that perished in the fighting. I don't know how to feel about this. She's probably the only other survivor from the massacre that I knew. I wish things could have been different. I wish I could have talked with her through that difficult time, but she's changed a lot. I don't know why she's targeted my family, but she has. And then, there's also the fact that she's the leader of Novus Purificatio, that twisted reboot of a disease that should never have happened. The sad part is that the original puritans were never extremists. They were just animals trying to set religious standards during a confusing age. Some of their followers branched off and carried the same name. They besmirched the name of the original puritans who were trying to bring peace. Now it's too late. The victors have written history. I guess we'll see who writes this next course of history._ "

Lily closed the video once it reached the end of it's time. She looked up at the painting that hung on the wall above the computer. The placard read, "Fitzgerald Brown: Wolfenstein." Lily could see a little bit of Adam in his ancestor's face. The eyes though, it was the eyes that were strikingly similar.

Lily shook her head as she tried to refocus. What was she going to do now? What did al this mean? Her history with Adam was so entwined, more so than she ever thought. He knew Kit all those years ago. Lily was barely sixteen when all that happened. She didn't even notice Kit act any differently. Maybe a little more irritable, but she never appeared sad. Lily thought about how Kit was friends with Byron, the one Adam had killed defending himself. Was it a grudge? Something else didn't make sense. If Kit was friends with Byron Doe, a deer, why would she start Novus Purificatio?

Lily stood up. She had to start somewhere. With the NP army coming down, she had to do something. Lily looked at the mask in her paws. Using her magic, she warped the mask to better fit her face. Once it was on she realized that the lenses weren't helping her vision. She popped them out and wore her glasses over the mask. She looked into the small mirror. Lily groaned at how ridiculous she looked. Then she closed her eyes and focused. She took he glasses off. In her mind, she envisioned what her glasses were like. Focusing on her eyes, she imagined the glasses effect on her eyes. When she opened them, she was surprised that she was able to see clearly without her glasses. Looking in the mirror she could see a faint pink mist wafting from the corners of her eyes. She had shed her glasses, like a classic superhero in the comics, she had her disguise.

Below the painting of Fitzgerald Brown, Lily noticed another whip. It had a small name etched into the glass case that covered it. "Rutger Wolfenstein, Adam's father." Lily lifted the case off and took the whip. Strapping it to her belt, she figured it would come in handy.

Whiplash watched from the roof as animals with post office caps ushered homeless animals into alleyways and helped set up makeshift barricades with dumpsters and wood shipping pallets. One of them, a tiger, gave Whiplash the all clear and gestured to the other streets. Sliding down the fire escape, Whiplash joined the tiger and the others on to the next street. They were checking every nook and cranny for NP soldiers and for anyone who hadn't yet taken shelter. Whiplash looked at the tiger. "You're really brave to be doing this, kid."

The tiger laughed. "I refuse leave anyone behind. It's better to save as many as you can than let that many perish."

Whiplash smiled at the tiger's spirit and commitment to the needs of the many. "I obviously need no introduction, but who may I ask are you?"

"Admiral Adam Hoppes of Zootopia's Post Office Batallion. We're at your back, sir!" The tiger gestured for his followers to fan out and look through the next set of alley ways. "We're the only bunch here tonight. All our members in the other cities are standing by in case any NP soldiers start popping up on the outskirts."

Whiplash couldn't shake the sense of fate as he stood next to this animal who secretly beared the same name as him. "How old are you?"

The tiger smiled. "Seventeen, sir. I'm a Junior in high school."

"Only seventeen, and you already have these followers ready for this crisis." Whiplash looked at the other members of this party. Some were as young as Adam Hobbes, others were adults, and a few were old.

Adam smiled with delight at that. "News travels fast when a cause is at hand, especially for the Post Office Batallion. _Neither snow nor rain…_ We all carry that motto with us."

Whiplash walked with the tiger as each of the others returned giving the all clear on the alley ways. "... _nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds._ "

"Sir, I'm flattered. We all are." Adam Hobbes motioned for his couriers to fan out on the next street. "We're already wearing the same colors. Blue, white, and aside from a little red I'd say we're pretty uniform. We all do what we can for uniforms. Some of us wear vintage caps like this one I'm wearing. Others, they'll find anything that's blue and attach post office patches."

"Again, I'm impressed if I haven't made that point clear. But, I noticed a lack of weapons to defend yourselves with." Whiplash pointed out his own whip and tranquilizer.

The tiger nodded. "We're not here to fight. We're here to make sure people are out of harm's way. Whiplash, we're not trained soldiers, but we will fight if we're still here when the floodgates open. My recruits lives are more important to me. I'd rather see them out of harm's way as well than be forced to fight on a front they weren't prepared for."

"You possess a surprising amount of wisdom in your youth." Whiplash laughed. "You may not be soldiers of war, but you certainly are the types of soldiers my ancestors used to strive to be."

"What kind of soldiers were they, sir?" Adam asked.

Whiplash recalled the words he had heard from his dying great grandfather when he was only ten years old. " _It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than to be a gardener in a war._ They were prepared."

"You honestly think we're prepared?"

Whiplash nodded. "From the looks of it? You're more prepared than most of the people in this city are."

"Admiral!" A gazelle came running up to the tiger with a whole other group of couriers.

"What is it Keith?" Adam put his paw on the gazelle's shoulder as he caught his breath.

The gazelle took a deep breath. "We got confirmation from Tundra town and Rainforest District. Streets are all clear on their end as well as our half."

"Good work, Captain. Any news from Saharah Square?" As if on cue, Adam's walkie talkie buzzed to life. "Anthony is that you?"

The static cleared up. "Yeah buddy, we're still here. Bad news though. We got NP troopers inbound."

"Get out of there now! Go to Honey's bunker and hold up there until further notice." Adam clipped his walkie talkie back onto his belt. "It would seem that it's started." The tiger walked over to his comrades. "Everyone! Go to the high school. Josh, you go with Keith and make sure that jurry rigged electric fence is also hooked up to the emergency power. We don't want those NP soldiers to make it anywhere near the people holed up there. Alright, let's go!" As they followed his orders and began sprinting towards the high school, Adam turned and looked down the empty streets. "I've lived here since I was born, and I never thought I'd see my home like this."

Whiplash stretched his paw out and clasped arms with the Tiger. "Go, you've done well. Now go, and live to fight another day."

Adam returned the arm clasp. "May we both live long enough to be as soldiers in that garden when peace is accomplished."

Back at the police station, Judy readied herself as she climbed up onto one of the armored cars. She banged on the roof and motioned for everyone to press forward. Every officer was mobilized and ready to go as the vehicles began to move out. Some rode inside with their gear ready, others hung from the sides as they looked out into the distance. They staggered their numbers into a series of waves that swept through the streets.

Judy looked up to see a familiar figure walking along the rooftops. One of the officers raised her tranquilizer. "Stand down. Leave him be." Judy's order was heeded. "Whiplash! Come down here." She watched as he jumped from the roof to a tree and then to a pole which he slid down. "Up here."

Whiplash nodded to the other officers as he jumped up on top of the roof next to Judy. "This must be strange for you."

Judy continued to scan the streets. "What? War, or the fact that I'm willing to cooperate with a vigilante to make sure this city is safe."

"Both." Whiplash checked his tranquilizer. "I'd be lying if I said _I_ wasn't scared."

"Really?" Judy was surprised by this. "Why is that?"

Whiplash retrieved his whip from his belt. "The ghosts of my past have returned." He traced each and every plait that belonged to him. "The last time I fought the Raven, she nearly bested me."

Judy looked down at the braided leather in Whiplash's grip. She wondered what it must be like for him, to carry an extension of his body made of his body. "The Raven has my brother, and Nick. I don't know if she's taken anyone else."

Whiplash took in a deep breath. "The Raven has become desperate. She would have her enemies suffer. Her prisoners are her insurance in case her army fails. She is unaware that we know the secret to defeating her soldiers." He let out a long sigh as shadows appeared on the horizon. "Here they come, again."

Judy squinted her eyes as she looked at the oncoming soldiers. "Oh, no." She saw they were arming a rocket launcher. "Everyone out!" Judy and Whiplash jumped off the roof of the armored car, narrowly missing the blast. The first attack damaged the EMP cannon, rendering it useless.

Whiplash drew his tranquilizer. "Well. So much for the easy way." He took cover behind a cement bench as projectiles began flying their way. Popping up he quickly shot three soldiers. The three collapsed the moment Whiplash went back to his cover.

Judy armed herself with tranquilizer rifle. Her first targets were the two animals attempting to reload the rocket launcher. She hit her marks. Both went down before they could fire it at any of the officers. However, the rocket still launched and flew into a nearby car.

"Shields up!" Officer McHorn shouted. A wall of shields formed as all the officers pressed forward.

Organization dissolved on both sides as forces collided. Judy and Whiplash were right in the thick of it. The officers fired their smaller EMP blasters at the Soldiers. Though this proved effective in disorientating the NP soldiers, they still fought back.

Whiplash's head darted back and forth between the two Soldiers that closed in on him. He round house kicked the one and spun around with his whip to disarm the other as he drew out his gun.

Judy remembered her training in the academy. She knew her size was an advantage. Sliding between legs, she was able to trip up any who were unfortunate to be in her path. Using the momentum from her attackers, she swung around and dealt a blow to their face with twice as much kick.

The NP soldiers became aware that they were losing. This caused them to reach up to the collars on their necks. Pushing a small red button, they activated the devices which pumped a blue serum into their bodies. With their blood pumping with this newfound power, they turned the tide as they came at the officers with relentless force.

Judy found herself caught by the ears. She struggled to get free from the soldier that held her, but it was no use. Just when the Soldier was about to swing her by the ears, he stopped. A pink haze surround the soldier and forced him to let go of Judy's ears.

Whiplash froze as six NP soldiers surrounding him suddenly began to float by way of the pink light that wrapped around them. He watched as the soldiers flew at each other, knocking themselves unconscious.

A soldier reloaded the rocket launcher and fired at this new being. This new face to the battle crossed her arms in front of her and formed a shield of pink energy that deflected the blast of the rocket. Stretching her arm out she launched an ethereal version of the rocket to the center of the NP forces. They all went flying like rag dolls.

Whiplash approached this new face. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

The figure's paws glowed with power as pink light spilled in every direction. "I am the Phoenix."

Whiplash looked at Judy. "Looks like I have competition, now. And might I say, your attire is simply stunning."

"You flatter me." The Phoenix punched Whiplash in the arm. "But, now is no time to joke. They have _him_."

Whiplash did a double take when he realized what had been said. "Daniel?"

Judy looked at the new comer. She didn't recognize her at all. "We could use your help. Once we're all done here, we need to get to the Raven's base before she kills any of her hostages."

Whiplash took the Phoenix's paw in his. "Let's go."

As Judy, Whiplash, and the Phoenix headed out, the remaining officers stayed behind to fight off the last of the NP soldiers who had yet to subdued.


	31. Chapter 31

Whiplash

Chapter 31 "Sounds of Silence"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Nick felt as though he were on the verge of suffocating. When he woke he lifted his head up as high as he could to take in as much air as possible. He couldn't seem to get enough air. This left him constantly trying to inhale as much relief air as possible, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't satisfy his lungs' need. The blackness of his vision slowly began to subside as he swung his head around slowly to regain his bearings. Nick could hear his heart beating against a backdrop of silence. Eventually the silence evolved to a ringing hum that hushed the sound of his heart.

A faint whimper began permeating the clouded noise in Nick's ear. The whimper evolved into sporadic yelps and crying. Through it all, he could hear a distant voice call his name. "Nick!"

Nick felt pain shoot through his limbs as he regained all his senses. His wrists and ankles got the worst of it. His vision cleared up enough that he could see the chains he was hanging by. He could feel the chains that pulled his legs tight so he couldn't move. He was seemingly floating in mid air.

"Nick!" The voice broke through the numbness in Nick's ears. He turned to see a rabbit chained up in a similar fashion next to him. Nick could tell it was Judy because of his voice. "Nick, wake up!"

Nick blinked as his hearing fully returned. "Jacob? What's going on? Where are we?" His ears were alerted to the whimpering sounds he had heard before. It was Daniel Wolff. The poor child had been locked into stocks with his mouth duct taped. Two beams held up the wooden planks that locked his head and hands in place. Nick looked back at Jacob. "Why isn't he chained up like us? There _is_ a third set of chains."

"I don't know." Jacob continuously tugged at his chains. "Shouldn't we be worried about getting out of here?"

Nick looked at his chains and tugged on them experimentally. "If your sister taught me anything, it's to ask basic questions everyone over looks." He noticed the how the axle they hung from hooked up with a series of gears that lead to a crank. 'Uh oh."

"Uh oh? Uh oh, what?" Jacob was about to panic.

Nick had seen this before, but only in a museum. "It's a torture rack, like in the dark ages."

Jacob felt nauseous as he fought his gag reflex. "That's not comforting."

Nick looked back at Daniel. "We're the only one's being tortured."

"Then, what is he here for?" Jacob asked.

Nick knew what Daniel was here for, but he couldn't say without revealing Whiplash's true identity. Daniel was here to lure Whiplash here. "I don't know."

"I get why I'm here." Jacob closed his eyes. "I'm not meant to survive this. It's because of my wife."

"Because you helped her?" Nick wanted to keep Jacob talking. As long as he talked, he didn't seem likely to panic.

"It do her any good." Jacob's face wrinkled as his mind collapsed. "She's dead. They killed her, and now they're gonna kill me."

Nick bowed his head. He knew why he was here. "I'm here because of your sister."

Jacob's fit ceased when Nick mentioned that. "What about my sister?"

Nick shook his head. "I'm such a fool." He didn't see it. He never could see it. Every good thing in his life seemed to be invisible until it was gone. "You know that Kit was really the Raven all along?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded. "It was all over the news. But, what does that have to do with my sister? Even if Kit's the Raven, wouldn't she want to keep you safe."

"To Kit, I'm tainted." Nick looked down. There was a puddle of water that was still enough that it allowed him to see his reflection. "Judy cares about me."

"Well yeah, she's your partner." Jacob realized when Nick gave him a look. "Oh. She _cares_ about you."

Nick nodded. "She tried to tell me. But, I pushed her away, just like everyone else. I gave Kit a second chance because I believed I had lost someone who could make my life better. But, because I was so caught up with her, I didn't see Judy. I missed it. I really am just a dumb fox."

Jacob looked at the expression on Nick's face. "No."

Nick furrowed his brow at Jacob. "What?"

"No." Jacob smiled. He'd shrug if he could. "You're not dumb. It sounds like you made a mistake. No animal is dumb because they've made a mistake."

"Wow." Nick half smirked. "That's actually very comforting." Nick looked around as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings more and more. He spotted a rack with his jacket and his holstered tranquilizer pistol. "I'd feel even better if I could get out of these chains and get to my stuff there."

Jacob nodded in agreement. He turned over his shoulder to see that Daniel was alright. "Hey don't worry, little guy. We're going to get out of here." Jacob turned back to Nick after Daniel began to calm down. "Can I ask you something?"

Nick looked at all the chains that held him in place. "It's not like I'm going anywhere, so shoot."

Jacob was silent, like he had to build up to asking his question. "Do you like Judy."

"She's my partner. I care about her, obviously." Nick sighed. "I just think I took her friendship for granted."

Jacob shook his head. "You're avoiding my real question. Do you _like_ her?" When Nick looked at him with a confused look, Jacob groaned. "For goodness sake! Do you love my sister, Judy, do you love Judy?"

Nick was taken aback by that question. To be honest he hadn't really thought about it a lot. However, that wasn't to say he hadn't admired her friendship beyond the usual measure. "Well, we're not exactly the same."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Nick, you're the person who likes to avoid things. Which, I can understand. You can avoid people who annoy you and the people who you don't get along with, but you cannot avoid the ones you care about. Theodosia told me about what Judy said about you. Nick I think you're avoiding her because you don't believe in yourself."

Nick didn't like that. "What is that supposed to mean? I believe in myself."

"Then why did you get back with Kit?" Jacob asked. "If you had any sense, you would have known very well that the second try would've ended just as bad as the first attempt. If you really believed in yourself, you wouldn't have sold yourself short. You would have known that you deserve better."

"Deserve better?" Nick growled. "Kit was a great animal!"

"Oh, I'm sure she was. But oh wait, newsflash! She turned out to be a psychopath." Jacob had no idea what had come over him. He never really cared for other people's relationships. But, Judy was his sister. "Nick, I wasn't the one who said you deserve better; Judy was."

Nick just stared at Jacob. "She did?"

"Yes!" Jacob broke into a smile as he saw that Nick looked like he had finally started to listen. "My wife asked her if she was jealous. Judy assured her that she wasn't jealous. She believed you deserved better, to not be hurt again like you had before."

Nick felt a chill pass through him, but it wasn't bad. It was like a brush stroke of hope. "What else did she say."

Jacob tried to remember all that his wife had told him. "My sister sees you as a great guy, and I don't mean that as a friend. She respects you, Nick. Judy said you were better than any guy she had ever met. Whenever you helped her with her goddaughter, she wanted to tell you, but she didn't. She kept her mouth shut because she didn't want to get in between you and Kit because she saw that she made you happy. Very rarely do I speak on behalf of my siblings, let alone Judy, but I _can_ say that she loves you Nick."

Nick fumbled with his words. "But, she said we were just partners."

"Oh, come on!" Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't you get why she said that? She didn't want to strain her friendship with you. She let you break her heart so she could still be friends with you. Who does that?!"

Nick shook his head, still in disbelief. "No, it wouldn't work. I'm a fox, and she's-."

"Gosh darnit!" Jacob just bowed his head in frustration. He accepted the fact that some animals just don't want to hear the truth. "Coward."

"What did you call me?!" Nick growled again.

"Coward!" Jacob cried out. Silence filled the air between Nick and Jacob. "You're afraid. Stop looking in the mirror. Stop listening to the world. People listen to the world to the point where they forget to listen to themselves." Jacob shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself, Nick. I almost did. I almost listened to my father. I almost didn't follow Theo to Zootopia. I couldn't imagine where I'd be without her." Jacob remembered his letters. He remembered Theo's. He saved each and every one. The one he valued most was the one that rocked his world. Words on a page, changed his world. "Nick, you don't avoid Judy because you don't value yourself. It's worse. You're not afraid of it not working out. You're afraid it's possible."

Nick stared out into space as he pondered Jacob's words. It was absolutely true. Fear worked in funny ways. Life can beat you and mold you into a lifestyle. You get so used to routine, that any possible new way of life scares you. Nick thought about it. Judy loved him, but she was willing to sacrifice her feeling just to stay his friend. He had never had anyone do that for him, especially Kit. This terrified Nick. He never asked for much. He just wanted a nice life that he could endure. Judy could change that. She was caring, smart, and honest about what she wanted in life. She had been his friend in a way that no one else ever had. She was the only person who had really gotten to him.

"What if she were a fox?" Jacob interjected. "A trick Old Todd Hickham taught us, he would say to imagine an animal as the same species to understand them better."

Nick closed his eyes. He ignored the pain. To his surprise, the image came very quickly. He could see a purple eyed fox smiling at him. It killed him. She was beautiful, in her own way. Nick smiled at the familiar pink plaid shirt and blue jeans. You could take the girl out of the farm, but you couldn't take the farm out of the girl. He loved that. She was spunky and full of energy, optimistic and a fierce friend. It could work, Nick thought, maybe. The fox he envisioned deteriorated and he was back to Judy. Nick opened his eyes. He had goosebumps up and down his arms under his shirt. He found himself whispering quietly. "Judy."

A loud sound was followed by a marching set of footsteps. "Hello boys." It was Kit. "Jacob, how's the wife? Still dead? Oh right, that was my doing." She turned her attention to Nick. "Hello darling. Miss me."

Nick said nothing.

"Oh, don't be that way. The moment this is all over and my troops have taken over the city, we'll be free to have our wedding without any trouble." Kit walked up to Nick and held onto his tie. "I can't wait till our honeymoon." She moved up to kiss Nick.

Nick spat in her face. "Get away from me."

"Touchy." Kit continued to blindly smile. "I understand you're upset, but once all this is over, there will be peace. Who knows, maybe you'll even consider giving me your grandmother's ring."

"No." Nick felt a fire burn in his hear. "You can forget about the engagement. It's off."

Kit's face twisted for a moment. "Now Nick, you know you love me."

Nick shook his head. "No, I don't love you."

"Yes," Kit hissed, "you do. Without me, you would have no one."

Nick smiled. "That's not true."

Kit's face pucked in anger. "What? That rodent?"

"Judy's a rabbit." Nick started to laugh. "She might have her pushover moments, but she can still kick your ass."

Kit walked over to the crank and pulled it down, slowly. Jacob and Nick grunted as their limbs began to stretch away from their bodies. Jacob began to pant as he was already at his breaking point. "Nick! I appreciate you standing up for my sister, but in this case…"

"Why don't you get it? Why don't any of you get it?! Don't you see what I'm trying to do for you?!" Kit was interrupted by a loud bang.

Jacob clenched his eyes shut. "What now?"

Nick smiled when he saw three figures appear. "The Cavalry."

Judy shot at Kit, forcing the fox to engage her. Kit extended her mechanical wings and took flight. Snatching Judy, she attempted to fly up. Before she could get very high, Whiplash snapped his whip around her leg and yanked her down. Judy managed to head-butt Kit and escape her clutches.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix ran over to Nick and Jacob. Forming two swords with her magic, she sliced through their chains. Walking over to Daniel she carefully peel the duct tape off of his mouth and melted the lock to the stocks. Lifting up the plank, she rushed him over to Jacob and ordered the rabbit to take Daniel to a safe place.

Judy aimed her gun again and shot five darts directly at Kit.

Kit came crashing down after all five darts hit her. She clenched her teeth once she landed. "No, not so fast." She pressed a red button on the collar she wore. A blue glowing liquid flowed into her neck and caused her body to contort.

"What is that?" The Phoenix called out.

Whiplash shuddered as he pulled his whip back. "It's a highly concentrated and altered Night Howler serum."

Kit grew twice her size and was now only a few inches shorter than Whiplash. Swinging her arm around, she jumped at Whiplash, punching him into the wall.

Nick grabbed his tranquilizer gun and fired three darts at Kit. His practice at the range had proved lousy in the past, but tonight, his luck changed as each shot was a direct hit.

The Phoenix watched as Kit roared in anger, but was still not affected by the tranquilizers. "She's not going down!"

Kit turned and launched a throwing knife at Nick.

Nick dropped his gun after the knife only sliced his paw.

The Phoenix ran to his aid and formed a shield around the two of them as Kit threw a grenade. The explosion bounced off of the pink shield and into the air.

Judy took aim again and pulled down on her trigger. She got off one shot before being grabbed by the throat.

"Judy!" Nick cried out as he ran.

Whiplash recovered and cracked his whip at Kit's arm. It achieved his desired effect as Kit dropped Judy and turned to face him.

When Judy dropped from Kit's grasp, her head hit the ground knocking her unconscious. Nick finally made it to her side. Picking her up, he ran for the nearest exit he could find. Someone had to take care of Judy, and he wasn't gonna be any better at fighting Kit. He ran, leaving the monster to be dealt with by Whiplash and the Phoenix.

Whiplash continuously cracked his whip to distract Kit. He was looking for a flaw in her reaction, the best moment to catch her off guard.

The Phoenix lit up her paws with her magic. Bringing her paws together, she formed a sphere of hot energy and threw it at Kit.

The pink flaming sphere struck Kit's shoulder where it burned of some fur.

The Phoenix was about to keep attacking, but her magic dissipated. She felt weak as she fell to her knees. Her magic had drained her of energy, more than she realized. She couldn't even sit up. The Phoenix slowly fell to her side. All she could do was watch

Whiplash took his shot with his whip as the Phoenix's attack distracted Kit long enough for him to strike Kit's back.

Kit howled in pain as Whiplash's whip sliced her back. Her mechanical wings fell off as her harness had been torn in the strike.

Adam took advantage of her weakened state to draw his tranquilizer pistol. He fired one shot. "Raven, stand down!"

Kit growled as she pressed the red button on her neck again. She began to grow once more. This time she stood a few heads taller than Whiplash. "Things will be as they should be!" Whiplash tried to fire his gun, but it jammed. Dropping his gun he tried to use his whip. It was no use as Kit grabbed it and yanked it from his grasp. Taking the whip in her now massive paws, she ripped it in half. "Time to die!" Kit grabbed Whiplash by the throat and dragged him to the rack. Latching him into the third set of chains, she began to wind the crank until he was suspended in the air. Kit ripped Whiplash's mask off. "Adam, how nice to see you again. Who's your friend."

"Stay away from her!" Adam shouted.

Kit huffed as she idly approached the Phoenix. "Two of a kind? Or so it would seem. You should be careful who you show your magic off to Lily." She slid the mask off of Lily's face.

Lily could barely shake her head as Kit returned to the rack. "Why are you doing this? What do you gain by doing all this? Why raise the Puritans back from the grave and start it all up again."

"I don't care about the Puritans or any of this Novus Purificatio nonsense." Kit grabbed a hold of the crank.

"Then why?" Lily cried out.

Kit let go of the crank. "Because of him! He killed my friend!"

Adam bowed his head. "Byron? You think doing any of this will bring Byron back?"

"What do you know?!" Kit yanked the crank down.

Adam hissed through his teeth as pain bombarded his body. "So what? Is this revenge, because I killed him?"

Kit pushed the crank slightly, just enough to get her point across. "I don't need to justify my actions to you! You're a deviant!" She looked over to Lily. "I'll fix you. I'll fix everything. Everything will be as it was. What happened with me and Byron will never happen to anyone ever again. Once my soldiers have taken over Zootopia, we'll move to the next city and the next, until everyone can be corrected!"

Lily realized something when she looked into Kit's eyes. It was a look she had seen only one other time in her life. It was after she first broke up with Nick. Sadness, clouded by anger flooded from Kit's eyes. Lily knew the truth now. "You loved him."

"No! I was young and stupid for flirting with animal who wasn't my own kind!" Kit began to foam at the mouth.

Lily forced herself to sit up. "You're lying. You did love him, a deer. You loved him and when he died, you blamed it on the fact that he was different. You blamed prey animals."

"Because they're weak!" Kit cried out. "If he was a predator, he would have survived!"

Adam hung his head low. "I'm sorry. It's my fault." He shook his head. "If I hadn't angered him, the whole conflict between my family and his could have been avoided. He'd still be alive to love you."

"No, Adam Wolfenstein." Kit's smile began to twist in her madness. "You opened my eyes. You showed me my corruption. Now I will fix it for the world, and animals around the world will be spared the same mistakes I made."

"No." Adam began to laugh. He laughed because he figured it out. "You're lying to yourself. You _did_ love Byron. I remember now. Your father. He hated serving the Doe family, because he believed in the Puritan ways. You knew he would never approve of Byron. So, when both he and your father died, you hid. You hid the fact that you were in love with a prey. He returned your affections, and you liked it!"

Kit punched Adam in the gut, silencing him. "Shut up! Shut up!" She flinched as a dart struck her back.

Lily smiled when she saw a familiar tiger armed with a scoped tranquilizer rifle.

Adam smiled as he reloaded the rifle. "Guess who was in the neighborhood!" The tiger fired another dart into Kit's shoulder.

Kit grabbed all her remaining throwing knifes and sent them flying at Adam the tiger.

Lily shook her head as she cried out. "No! Adam!" She forced herself to stand as the tiger collapsed to the ground with knives lodged in his chest.

Lily focused her power and caused the chains that held her Adam to burst apart. She watched as Adam leaped for Nick's tranquilizer pistol and shot at Kit.

Kit fell to one knee. Before she could press the red button again, Lily used her magic to obliterate it.

Adam stepped forward as he fired another shot.

Lily cried as her old friend collapsed as the tranquilizer dart began to slow her systems. Without her collar, she began to shrink. Looking over to her Adam, Lily saw that he was about to fire again. "Stop!"

Adam stood poised with the gun aimed at Kit. His twitching finger moved closer to the trigger. He was about to do it, but then Lily pushed his arm down towards the ground. "No, Lily. I have to do this." He tried, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.

"Stop." Lily peeled the gun from his paw. "Let the past be." She cupped his face in her paw. "Think of the future."

Tears rolled down Adam's cheek. "I have to face my demons. Why couldn't I pull the trigger?"

Lily pulled his head down and gently kissed him. "You already faced your demons. There's no more monsters in the closet."

Adam sighed with relief as he turned from Kit.

Lily's smile faded. "But now, it's time for me to face my demons." Lily swung around and shot at Kit who had prepared to lunge at her.

Kit fell forward, barely catching her weight by her paws. She looked down at the fifteen tranquilizer darts that were stuck in her body. "Nevermore." Her body began to shrink back to its original size. Her stretched fur hung loosely over her skeleton. Kit began to wheeze as her breath escaped her.

Lily came to her side and held her friend's body. "I'm sorry Kathrine. I'm so sorry."

Kit looked up into her friend's eyes. "Remember the time in school, when I asked you if you would ever kill me? And, you said only if I turned evil." Her breathing slowed. "I guess you weren't lying." Kit groaned as she yanked the darts from her body.

Lily helped her and propped her up. "You're going to be fine, Kit. You're not gonna die. You're just going to sleep."

"I'm going to sleep, forever." Kit's eyes began to water. "I'm not going to see him again, am I?"

"Nick?" Lily asked.

"No." Kit's eyelids began to droop as she struggled to stay awake. "He won't forgive me. Lily, Byron will never forgive-." Kit's eyes stiffened. As her final breath escaped, the Raven lay dead.

Lily closed her friend's eyes. Turning aside, she broke out into hysterical crying that she had no control over. Adam rushed over to her side and comforted her. "She's gone! Adam's gone…"

Adam raised his brows. "What are you talking about? I'm right here, Lily."

Another voice cut in. "Um, I believe she's talking about me sir."

Adam and Lily looked up in surprise to see the tiger standing, alive. Lily blinked, making sure that she wasn't seeing a ghost. "Adam? But, I thought you were dead."

The tiger yanked out each knife that appeared to be lodged in his chest. "You know, I had a dream about dying. You were there actually. It was a lot like this. You wouldn't happen to have peeked into my dreams would you?"

Lily was still amazed that the tiger wasn't dead or in pain. "Only the dead can walk among dreams."

"Interesting." Once Adam yanked out all the knives, he opened his leather jacket to reveal the wooden chestplate that was held in place by rope. "Aw, I liked this jacket. Good thing it's not real leather. That would have been at least million dollars down the drain." Adam stopped talking when he noticed Kit's lifeless body. "I'm sorry about your friend there."

Lily shook her head as she pressed herself in her Adam's arms. "Don't be. My friend's been dead for a long time."

Back at the police station, Nick wrapped a blanket around Daniel as Judy finished up talking to her brother. "Just wait here in my cubicle until your parents get here." Nick stepped out of his cubicle and watched as another officer escorted both Jacob and Theo away from Judy. "Hey."

Judy stared back at Nick. "Hey."

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "So, doing anything Saturday night?"

Judy laughed as she wiped her eyes. "No."

"Okay." Nick looked everywhere but at Judy. "Maybe I could come over and help you with the little miss. Maybe we could get ice cream instead of coffee."

Judy cocked her head as a smile grew on her face. "That would be nice."

"And," Nick looked at Judy's feet, still managing to miss her face, "if that goes well, maybe we could, I don't know, have dinner?"

Before Judy could say anything two voices shouted out. "Just kiss him already!"

Judy looked over Nick's shoulder to see Benjamin Clawhauser and Daniel both watching. "Guys, I got this." Benjamin quickly disappeared elsewhere while Daniel hid back in Nick's cubicle. Judy returned her attention to Nick. "I thought we were just partners."

"If _you_ want to be." Nick stuck his paws in his pockets. "Do you want to be?"

"No," Judy shrugged her shoulders, "do you?"

Nick smiled. "No."

They both laughed as they awkwardly looked away from each other.

Nick nodded to himself. "But, I do need time before we can, you know."

"Of course, take all the time you need." Judy was about to walk off before Nick stepped up and hugged her. "Nick?"

Nick couldn't seem to let go of Judy. "Why does time fly so fast whenever I'm with you?"

Judy just smiled as she wrapped her arms around Nick and returned his embrace. "You know you love me."

"Yeah." Nick sighed. "I do."

"Ahem." Nick and Judy both relinquished their hug at the sound of their Chief. "Looks like I owe Clawhauser fifty bucks now. And, you do know I can't allow you two to work together if you're romantically involved."

Judy and Nick looked at each other, disheartened.

"I do believe a punishment is in order." Bogo pulled out a folder from under his arm. "I'm demoting you both to your original ranks as officers. That is all." The chief began to walk away.

"What, really that's it?" Judy asked.

Bogo lowered his reading glasses. "I still expect a full report on this case. And, I have demoted you to your original ranks because I believe it would allow the two of you to work a job with a more healthy stress level."

Nick's arm clung around Judy's shoulder. "What about our _relationship_?"

"What relationship?" Bogo winked before heading back to his office.

Nick was caught off guard by the two figures that had approached them from behind. "Woah! Adam? Lily?"

Judy smirked at Adam's discomfort. "You look a little disheveled there, sir. It must be tough, being a forest ranger and all."

"Those tree's will get you." Adam chuckled a bit. "I think I'll be looking for a safer job, closer to home."

Lily stepped up. "Is Daniel here?"

Daniel came running down from Nick's cubicle. "Mom! Dad!" The small stag nuzzled into his parents embrace as they held him. "You won't believe who I saw."

Adam laughed as he looked at his son. "Tell us all about it."


	32. Chapter 32

Whiplash

Chapter 32 "Empire"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Adam woke up in his bed. He smiled brightly as he looked down at his wife who laid curled up by his side. He sighed contently as he looked around their room. It was not the same room he was used to. After the fire burned down the old house, he used some of his family's fortune to build a new one. This new home had a lot more accommodations such as a larger kitchen, a fireplace in the living room, and extra bed rooms for their growing family.

"Good morning, sweety." Lily yawned as she woke up.

Adam smiled to her as he rubbed her shoulder. "Good morning Mrs. Wolff."

Lily laughed. Her laugh turned into a sigh of pleasure. "I knew it was a great idea to get you that new shampoo."

"Peaches." Adam chuckled. "Interesting choice." He brushed his paw over Lily's head and around her ears. This elicited a purr from Lily who squealed with embarrassment.

"Adam!" She buried her face in his chest, not just to hide her face, but also for the peaches.

Adam wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Lily made a pouty face. "I can't work today. I'm too tired, and you smell like peaches."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Okay. I'm sure that Zootopia Times won't collapse if its editor in chief misses one day."

Lily curled up her legs to warm her feet up next to Adam's. "Don't you gotta work too? The utility bills don't pay for themselves."

"I took the day off so I could drive Adam up to summer camp. Remember?" Adam smiled at his wife.

"Oh yeah." Lily remembered now. "Sara and Caleb are going as well, right?"

Adam furrowed his brow at the mention of Sara's name. "Yep. Caleb _and_ Sara."

"Oh, this again?" Lily laughed. "They're friends. What are you worried about? It's not like she's gonna corner him and seduce him."

Adam frowned at that. "You're not helping with that image. She's gotten touchy lately."

Lily shook her head. "Daniel is a respectable boy. He can handle himself. He's just like you."

Adam groaned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Lily cocked a brow at her husband. "Are you saying you're not respectable?"

"Around you?" Adam shook his head. "Never."

Lily gave her husband a forced look of surprise. "You kept your hands to yourself."

"It took a lot of praying." Adam smiled as he kissed Lily.

Lily pushed Adam away as she laughed. "I still think you're overreacting to this situation."

"I'm sorry. You're probably right." Adam brushed Lily's face with his paw. "Hey, how about I make breakfast."

Lily fake groaned. "You're tempting me with food, my weakness." Sitting up she looked into her husband's eyes. "What?"

Adam looked curiously at his wife. "Nothing. You know, you look particularly beautiful this morning."

Lily smiled as she got out of bed. "Thanks honey. Now go make that breakfast. Katherine is going to be hungry."

Adam watched his wife as she approached the crib near the bed and picked up the baby fox that was their adopted daughter. "She still asleep?"

"Not for long." Lily carefully brushed a finger over her daughter's forehead.

"Okay, I'll get to-." Adam paused when he heard a strange ringing sound.

"Adam?" Lily looked over at him. "Something wrong?"

Adam followed the sound to his bedside table. He opened the drawer and dug around until the ringing stopped. Adam pulled out the object he had grabbed. It was the ring that had been passed from father to son through all the generations of his family. "You didn't hear anything did you?"

"No." Lily shook her head. "What're you doing with your family's ring?"

Adam smirked as he slid the ring onto his right paw. "I don't know." He couldn't explain it, but he had this strange desire to wear it, for no reason at all.

"You know," Lily went to her bedside table and pulled out the ring her mother had given her, "these rings are almost completely identical, except for their emblems."

Adam hummed to himself. "Interesting."

The rest of the day went without incident. After taking Daniel to camp, Adam returned home. He had hoped to spend the evening with her over a homemade dinner and a chance to cozy up near the fireplace as they played with their daughter. But something happened…

Adam stopped trying to feed his daughter when his pocket started to buzz. "Oh, my work is calling."

"Is it really your work phone?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." Adam regretfully answered the call. "Hello?" He recognized the static voice that was always the same each time he got called in. "Where am I going? Really? I thought that place was abandoned." Adam sighed as he ended the call.

Lily started picking up where Adam left off with feeding Katherine. "Where is it his time?"

"That old asylum on the cliff." Adam picked up his dinner plate and silverware to take it to the kitchen.

"With the waterfall?" Lily asked.

Adam nodded. "Yeah." Grabbing his jacket and the keys to his truck he leaned over to kiss his wife. "I'll see you around."

Lily smiled as she waved her husband goodbye. "Don't be long."

Adam felt odd as he drove through the maintenance tunnel 6B. He didn't know why this would be any different than other job. But then again, he had never been called out with not tools. The looming hospital in the distance did give him the creeps a little, though something was different about it. It looked like it had been refurbished. There were guards patrolling the gate and at the booth where he explained his business.

Once inside, a secretary led him to a conference room. Adam smiled as he saw Agent Savage slowly pacing around the conference room with several files in hand. "Well, well, well. Frank Savage. I should have known it was you that called me here."

Savage stopped pacing and turned slightly to face Adam. "Welcome, Mr. Wolff." To Adam's surprise, his accent had changed. "I suppose you know why you're here."

Adam was truly surprised by this sudden change in his voice. Savage wasn't even sporting his usual laugh that had become so iconic to those who had met him. "I have a good idea, but I don't like jumping to conclusions."

Savage smiled. "Take your best shot."

Adam laughed as he crossed his arms and half shrugged. "Saying hi to old friends for old times sake? I'm hoping that's all this is. But knowing you, you probably want my help with something."

Savage gave a nod to Adam. "Correct. You see, Mr. Wolff, you have done countless animals a great service by helping rid this world of the reincarnation of the Puritans. It's as though you've succeeded your family's legacy, as a matter of fact. The descendent of the Great Wolfenstein has smothered out the last flame of a cruel cult that once tormented his family all those many years ago. However, there are loose ends to tie up. And as I respect you, I would hate to see any legal actions sneak up on you in the future."

Adam furrowed his brow. "Is that a threat?"

"Of course not," Savage cleared his throat, "I was merely leading into my proposition for you. You see, though you have done us all a great service, I'm afraid it's still illegal for you to take the law into your own hands like you did."

Adam tensed up as he tried to assure himself. "I've given up that life, though. I'm working a steady job to support myself, my wife, my son, and my daughter. I've put all that vigilante stuff behind me."

"Oh, I believe you." Savage sighed. "Have a seat." Adam sat down in one of the chairs around the conference table. Savage took another seat across from him. "I have some friends in high places, not as high as mine mind you, but I still can't entirely stop them from jailing you. They're afraid you'll _fall back into old habits_ if you know what I mean."

Adam shook his head in frustration. "That's absurd."

"Really?" Savage opened one of the files he had been carrying. "At ten thirty four, a Monday morning, you confronted a thief who had stolen a woman's purse at the local grocery store. You tackled him him to the floor and held him there until security arrived."

Adam interjected. "Something any upstanding citizen might do, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah, uh huh." Savage's shot back down to the file. "Then there's last week…"

Adam groaned as he buried his face in his paws.

Savage continued, "...on a Thursday night, two minutes past eight, you stopped a robbery at a local gas station. You knocked one guy unconscious against a candy dispenser, and the the other, I love this, you dislocated and relocated his arm. You say you work a steady job as a family man, but this doesn't sound anything like what a Heating and Refrigeration Mechanic does on a regular basis."

Adam felt like his whole world was collapsing. He had given up on the whole vigilante work, but there were always those times when he felt like he couldn't sit idly by and do nothing when he knew he could do something. If he had known there would be repercussions for these actions, he might of thought twice. But then he remembered. Savage had admitted to wanting his help. "Why am I here?"

"You know I had promised Officer Judy Hopps a favor, once. Originally she wanted me to clear _your_ records so you could live a peaceful life with your family. But, she used that favor to clear her new boy friend's tax records when I assured her that you were already taken care of." Savage smiled. "I'm giving you the chance to make yourself immune. There are things that need to be done by extraordinary beings such as yourself. You're a fighter for good, and you can't change that. It can't be taken out of you. That's just the way it is. But, if you choose to help, I can get you pardoned. You'll be stopping bigger crimes than petty theft." Savage let out a long sigh. "And if you do all that is asked of you, I promise that you'll one day have the normal life you always wanted."

Adam pondered over these words. "Agent Savage, I think it's apparent that I was never meant to have a _normal_ life. But, if I do this, can you promise me that I'll make it home at the end of the day to see my family?"

"I don't make promises I can't keep. However, by helping me, you'll be ensuring your family's safety. But, you cannot let them know what you're doing this time." Savage clasped his paws together. "So, are you in?"

Adam thought about the offer. He really had no choice. That wasn't to say he didn't have the choice. He did have a choice. Though, he had already made the choice when thought of his family. He loved them, and he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Well, perhaps you'll be more forthcoming when you meet the rest of the team." Savage smiled. "And besides, you wouldn't want the new combat suit and mask we made you to go to waste, now would you?."

"Wait, you made me a new suit?" Adam asked.

A feminine and sultry voice interrupted. "Don't worry deary, it's fabulous. I know you'll love it. I know _I_ do."

Adam looked around the conference room, expecting to see someone else, but it was just him and Savage. "Okay, either I'm going crazy, or you're a very good ventriloquist."

The feminine voice came again. "I don't think you're crazy."

"And, I am no ventriloquist." Savage smiled.

Adam felt something press against his side and move right between his legs. Jumping up out of his chair, Adam pointed an accusing finger at Savage. "What game are you playing?"

Savage stood up. "My apologies. I should introduce you to one of the animals you'll be working with." He looked away in no particular direction. "Crystal, I know you consider yourself to be a naturalist, but for the sake of Mr. Wolff's sanity, would you mind putting some clothes on?"

"Ugh, you just have to suck the fun out of everything don't you," came the voice again, "alright."

Adam watched as a small pink mass unrolled to reveal a pink tail with black polka dots. "What?"

The tail waved around a bit before the voice came again. "Oh, I have these tail covers made so my tail doesn't get stepped on. It really is a frequent problem. I don't blame animals, though. It _is_ hard to not step on what you can't see." A blouse floated up and was buttoned before Adam's eyes. "Like Mister Savage said, I'm Crystal." Crystal pulled up a pair of jean shorts and tucked the shirt in before buckling the belt.

Adam looked to Savage who handed him a file. Savage gestured to Crystal as she placed a red kepi on her head. "Miss Crystal has a certain skill in being transparent."

Adam looked through the file. He saw a picture of of black panther in a lab coat. There were several other pictures which showed her with splotches of her face missing like a drawing that had been erased. The last two pictures showed her wrapped in bandages. "She was a scientist?"

"That's right baby. I used to be, but then I made this serum which turned me invisible. Now, I'm a lot more fun." Crystal pulled on a burgundy trench coat that had a black and white plaid liner.

Adam cringed a bit at Crystal's inflection. Savage laughed, but it wasn't the laugh he'd expected to hear. "One of the side effects of the serum was the fluctuation in brain chemistry. This resulted in making her more, well, sensual."

"You're glossing over the higher testosterone levels that gives me my exceptional strength that I _love_ to utilize for acrobatic purposes." Crystal did a cork flip over the conference table. "When changing the body's refraction index so that it neither absorbs nor reflects light, there are always side effects."

"Acrobatics?" Adam asked. "Were you in the circus?"

Crystal sighed and looked away for a bit. Adam could only tell that she looked away because the brim of her kepi changed directions. "I was in the circus for a time, yes. I was probably one of the best acts. But, when I tried to leave, I was kidnapped by the racoon who owned the circus. Mr. Cooning wasn't fond of the idea that one of his best acts was going to disappear. So he boxed me up and kept me stuffed in a car until I was rescued by Agent Savage."

Adam crossed his arms. "So now you work for Agent Savage?"

Crystal gave a coy laugh. "I don't know, I could _work_ for you. Catch my drift?" She moved closer to Adam.

Adam stuck his paws up in protest. "Ma'am. I'm married, and loyal."

"You called me ma'am. Ouch." Crystal retreated and sat down in an open chair with her legs up, which was less revealing than it actually was. "Guess that means you won't let me borrow your car. Here you go." Crystal threw a set of keys at Adam.

Catching the keys, Adam was shocked. "What? How'd you get my keys?"

"I'm a kleptomaniac, darling. I _love_ to steal things." Suddenly a loud roar from outside the room brought a short giggle out of Crystal. "Lot's of things."

"Crystal!" A booming voice echoed it's way into the conference room. "Where are my firecrackers?!" Adam recognized that voice. It was familiar. "Crystal-," the face that matched the voice stepped into the room, "who is this this guy?"

Adam froze when he saw a massive boar walk into the conference room. "TNT?"

Savage grabbed Adam's shoulder to calm him down. "Adam, allow me to introduce Peter David Hogbop, also known as TNT. Peter, allow me to intro Adam Wolff, also known as Whiplash."

The massive boar's eyes went wide. "Whiplash? Whiplash. Whiplash!" He came running at Adam, who expected the worse. But, when Peter made contact, Adam found himself wrapped up in the deadliest hug of his life. "I am huge fan!"

Adam could almost smile if it weren't for the fact that his lungs were practically being crushed. "Yes, you are." He gasped for breath the moment Peter released him from the hug of death.

"Oh and sorry about the whole _trying to kill you_ thing. Mind control, nasty business that. But hey, if it could have been anyone who had to stop me, I'm glad it was you." Peter gave an awkward thumbs up, then he leaned in close. "Oh, and if that crazy invisible lady tries to give you any trouble, just have a can of spray paint ready."

"I'll try to remember that." Adam laughed at that. "Wait, your hair wasn't red when you tried to kill me."

Peter got all giddy as he looked at Savage and squealed excitedly. "See! He noticed." He looked at Adam again. "We're gonna be great friends. I just know it! Wait till I show you my mini nukes."

"Mr. Hogbop, there's a time, and a place. And, a firing range for explosives!" Savage held a stern finger directed at Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes. "I only blew up the kitchen once!"

Savage crossed his arms in protest. "And, you had your radiation incident."

Peter turned to Adam. "It was Crystal's fault, and she knows it!"

"I did nothing." Crystal casually laid on top of the conference table and proceeded to lick the invisible fur of her legs.

Peter deadpanned. "You yanked my tail, causing me to drop that radioactive isotope in the air vent! We had to evacuate and start wearing lead lined clothes. I got so many rashes and skin irritations from those stupid clothes."

"Radioactive isotope?" Adam blinked, a little nervous of his surroundings.

"Just a smidge, a little bit. It only had a half life of four days." Peter pat Adam on the shoulder as he turned and eventually took his own seat at the conference table. "Hey captain, when's Knockout gonna get here? I'd like to get all these formalities out of the way so I can go back to my boomerang bomb project."

Savage checked his watch. "She's late. She should have been here a while ago, actually."

Just then a loud sound alerted everyone in the room. There was yelling and banging and audible commands. Adam eventually took a seat and smiled like an idiot, as he would describe it. "Exciting place you got here Frank."

Crystal and Peter looked to each other and simultaneously asked, "Frank?"

The body of a lion broke down the conference room doors. The lion was pathetically trying to escape from some force. "Mommy!" A flash of orange yanked the lion from the ground and threw him down the hall.

"I hate predators! And I especially hate lions!"

"It would seem Miss Bellwether has arrived." Savage stood up to confront the massive sheep that even made Peter Hogbop uncomfortable. "Now Dawn, what did I say about attacking our security guards?"

Dawn's nostrils flared. "Savage you son of a-!"

"Watch your tongue, Miss Bellwether! Or do you tempt my patience?" Savage raised his paw and threatened to snap his fingers.

The gesture made Dawn's face visually soften. "Yes sir."

Adam noticed the collar around Dawn's neck. It was like the collars they used on dangerous criminals in prison, except it was different. It was a modified tame collar. He remembered the story of those cursed things and how the law to enforce their use on predators was thankfully vetoed and deemed unconstitutional concerning the rights of animals. Adam saw that it was being used as a training collar in this case. It was a sad sight.

"But, with all due respect sir," Dawn spontaneously swung Savage by the legs against the wall, "stop pretending to be what you're not! You're not a predator!"

Crystal slowly approached Dawn. "Dawn. Neither are you, and you don't need to compare anyone because you're only comparing yourself."

Dawn fell to her knees. "You're right." Dawn began to twitch until her form rapidly shrunk in a series of bursts that released steam. She was now barely taller than Crystal, who helped her stand up and exit the conference room.

Adam stood up, but Peter gestured for him to sit down and shook his head. Adam watched as Savage effortlessly stood up and turned to face them. He was shocked to see the skin and fur had been ripped off of his face, but underneath was a series of cables and sparking wires. One of Savage's eyes was missing and revealed a camera of sorts. Savage shrugged his shoulders as his now mechanical voice spoke, "I guess the jig is up. No more pretending. My real name isn't Frank." He untied his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. Digging through the lower fur of his abdomen, he got a hold of a zipper which he pulled up. Adam watched as his arms pulled open his chest to reveal a set of blue eyes.

"You're not a hyena." Adam said flatly.

"Actually I'm a jackrabbit." Adam watched as the much smaller figure jumped out of the hyena suit and onto the conference table. It was an older light grey rabbit whose ear color had faded slightly to match with the rest of his grey fur. He tightened his skinny blue tie and brushed off his black suit. "The name _is_ Savage, _Jack_ Savage."

Adam found himself smiling like a kid and a candy store. "As in _the_ Jack Savage? From the Savage Chronicles?"

"If you're referring to those fictional adaptations of my past exploits, then yes, that's me." Savage smiled as he held his paws behind his back. "I was a Mammal Intelligence Agent, but now I'm retired from that profession."

"Retired?" Adam asked.

"I got old." Savage looked through the gaping hole where the doors once stood. He watched as Crystal helped Dawn down the hall. "I serve a much different purpose now. I'm here to lead this team of unique individuals."

Adam chuckled a bit inside. "Yep. Unique."

Savage failed to stifle his laughter where Adam succeeded. "You're all definitely something. Peter here is a demolitions expert, you're skilled in martial arts and detective work to a degree, you can see Crystal's talent, and Dawn is a skilled marksman along with her great strength."

"And you're a former MI agent whose skilled in espionage, disguise, and combat. Your experience on the field naturally makes you a good candidate for this job." Adam smiled. "To know such an animal will be leading me, makes me more confident in joining this team." The first thought that came to Adam's mind was how Lily was going to kill him once she found out. But, he knew Lily. She would understand in time. Power could be such a fickle thing. Yes, it does come with responsibilities. That was something Adam learned from his father before he died. When you can do something, do it. Adam remembered his father telling him how the only way for evil to win was for good animals to do nothing. Everyone has the power to be a force for good. Sometimes we sell ourselves short with what we can actually do. But, even the simplest of things can be the driving force that pushes good to always overcome evil. Sometimes it's standing up for ourselves, sometimes it's the pursuit of happiness, and in Adam's case, it was an animal doing his best to protect his family.

Savage smiled. "So, you're really in?"

When you can make a difference, don't waste the opportunity. "Yes," Adam smiled, "I'm in. But, I have a few questions."

"Oh good," Savage hopped off the table and motioned for Adam to follow him, "I have a few answers."

Adam followed Savage to an elevator that was down the tertiary hallway adjacent to the conference room. A guard greeted them and swiped a key card to open the door for them. Once inside, Savage inserted a key next to a button marked _ARMORY_. Pushing the button closed the elevator doors and began their ascent.

"Quick question about Crystal and Bellwether, is there something between them?" Adam noticed a certain spark between the two but he wasn't one to judge.

"Are you just curious?" Savage asked. When Adam nodded, Savage smiled a bit. "I've wondered the same thing, yet she _is_ our certified counselor."

Adam was surprised by this. "Crystal's a counselor? Really?"

"I know," Savage hummed a laugh to himself, "does seem odd, doesn't it. But, she takes that role seriously. And, Dawn is one of her more, shall we say, special cases."

Adam saw for himself how unstable the former mayor had become. He remembered facing off against her in the bank and how distraught she was. There was also the fact that she was being affected by a chemical overdose that warped her body and twisted her mind. "What about, you? Do you take counseling from Crystal?"

Savage was quiet for a long moment. A deep sigh escaped his system as he squared his shoulders. "In a sense, yes. However, my conversations with Crystal are for different reasons."

Adam felt it best not to push any closer into that territory. "On a different note, what exactly do we do here."

"Here? Well, these are just our headquarters. What you _do_ is whatever task we assign you, whenever and wherever. Your tasks will depend on the situation. Sometimes it may be a matter of national security, other times it may be to prevent a terrorist attack, and you might even be tasked with the safe capture of others like yourself and the rest of the team." Savage raised his head a little higher to look at Adam. "On the bright side, you won't be needed at all times. The proximity of your home is also relatively close to Headquarters, so you don't need to move in with us any time soon."

"Do the others stay here?" Adam asked.

Savage nodded. "Oh, yes. Peter elected to stay here with us as his previous living conditions were lacking. We had offered him a place to stay and also work on devices that would be patented under his name and used for police and military exploits. Crystal really has nowhere else to go, due to her condition. Dawn is on a sort of parole. We watch her, and at the same time we offer her whatever she needs to find the cure to her abnormality. You should consider yourself lucky, Mr. Wolff."

Adam observed the strange expression on Savage's face. "Lucky? Why do you say that."

"You have something to come home to every day; you have a family that loves you. Some of us, this is what we have." Savage's words were peculiar.

The peculiarity of Savage's notions intrigued Adam. He still knew little about Jack Savage. It was only minutes ago that he used to be Frank Savage the Hyena. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

Adam pushed for more information. "Did you ever have a family."

Savage was still and quiet. No emotion was shown as he maintained a stoic face. His silence was almost unsettling for Adam. "My parents died when I was very young. You might say we have that in common, but you had the privilege of knowing your parents for a time. And, I did have the chance to marry."

Adam raised his brow. "But?"

For once an emotion broke through. It was a somewhat sad expression. Yet, Savage appeared too numb to the idea of sadness to cry. Then a smile broke the corner of lips when the elevator bell rang. As the doors opened he said, "A different destiny called for my services." Stepping through the elevator, he motioned for Adam to follow.

As Adam followed, he looked at the various tables and stands that he passed. There were numerous scientists at work on different contraptions and devices. He observed one scientist who was test firing what looked like Dawn Bellwether's guns. The scientist was firing at a nonspecific test dummy. On his table was several different colored orbs with different chemical compounds. One of the orbs was uniquely shaped in the regard that it resembled a golf ball. At a different table, Adam could see Peter's wrist mounted flamethrowers. The scientist working with them was taking detailed notes and consulting with another scientist about improvements they could make in the design of how they mounted onto Peter's arms.

Adam caught sight, very quickly, of a very distinct dark blue outfit with red belts and straps. "Wow. That is one piece of work." Adam traced his paw over the large white W insignia that wrapped across the chest. It was different than what was on his old suit. This one wasn't in the same circular fashion that he had modeled after his father's ring. But, it was good. "I like it." Adam looked at the mask which was equipped with smaller bionic ears and an improved filter.

Savage smiled. "I knew you would. We used a special material that's resistant to fire and ballistic damage, yet it still remains flexible and breaths for a comfortable fit. The harness is sewn into the suit so you can clip into and out of repelling gear, parachutes, and whatever else the occasion calls for. There's a computer in the mask that gives you direct access to maps, schematics, and it can also act as a targeting system for your sidearm." Savage gestured to the holster. "The semiautomatic tranquilizer gun has a device which links up with your mask's targeting system."

"Well, that's all good, but what about a whip? Mine was destroyed, and my father's is in the museum." Adam could tell by the smile on Savage's face that he had something up his sleeve.

Savage looked at the ring on Adam's right paw. "That's an interesting ring you got there. It bears the emblem of Wolfenstein, if I'm not mistaken."

Adam fiddled with the ring. He recalled his strange urge to wear it. Then, ever so suddenly, a small ringing sound began to fluctuate in his ear. "Yes. It is." Adam felt this strange impression. It was similar to the time when he felt like he should wear the ring. He found himself walking to a door at the end of the armory. Without hesitation he opened the door. Savage followed him into the next room. The walls were a gloss black with a single light focused on a pedestal in the center of the room. "What," Adam felt strange as his gaze locked onto the pedestal, "what is this room?"

Savage circled the pedestal so that he would be across from Adam. "It was built to contain special artifacts such as this one. I can tell you an interesting fact about that ring of yours. What if I told you there were two others? And, each one was a gift from powerful beings who granted them, along with artifacts, to magnificent animals."

Adam could hear the sound getting louder. It almost sounded like it was evolving into a celestial voice. "It sounds like a fairy tale."

Savage nodded. "Most stories do. But then again, if someone heard your story, what do you think they would think?"

Adam moved closer to the pedestal. There was a glowing rod that was about a foot long and held a faint resembled to a bone. "What are the rings?"

"They serve a greater purpose. Are you familiar with the three sixes." Savage asked.

Adam cocked his brow at that. "The symbol of evil?"

"Yes, but there is also the three sevens. They have been theorized to be the antithesis of the three sixes. I'm no expert on history, but I have read the files. And, they're astonishing. Throughout history there are records of seven individuals who have banded together for a greater cause. What's even more remarkable is the repetitious appearances of these groups reoccur in distinct geographic locations, three to be exact." Savage looked Adam in the eye. "You're ancestor Fitzgerald Brown, the first Wolfenstein, was the leader of one of those groups."

"Heaven's Seven. I remember my brother's telling me those stories." Adam heard the voice getting louder, but it wasn't a painful experience. It was like drawing closer to a familiar and comforting sound that you remember from your childhood.

"That's right. Heaven's Seven, the Arctic Tribe of sorcerers, and the Grasshoppers who could run faster than any animal ever could." Savage disarmed the alarms that surrounded the artifact on the pedestal. "You possess the ring, and we possess the artifact. You _are_ its rightful owner. It belonged to your ancestor."

Adam reached for the peculiar artifact. Light seemed to fluctuate around it. The moment he grabbed it, the noise in his head stopped. The pedestal lowered to the floor as Savage stepped back. Adam concentrated on the artifact. After getting a closer look and feel of the texture, he realized that it was made of tightly wrapped leather. "It's the whip he made from his own skin. Twenty four plaits." When Adam concentrated, the length of the whip appeared almost magically. He tested its weight by swinging it over his head. Aside from the handle, it almost felt weightless. Bringing it over his head, he whipped it in front of him. The crack echoed through the room as an ethereal light sparked from the cracker of the whip.

Savage smiled. "It would seem everything is in order."

Adam concentrated again while swinging it back towards himself. The whip seemed to obey his command as it coiled up on its own and latched itself onto the belt that held up his pants. "I'm gonna have to get used to this."

"What? Being a superhero? Vigilante, no more." Savage motioned for him to follow him out of the room so it could be closed back up.

"Superhero? So, would we technically be like a squad of superheroes?" Adam felt a strange excitement overcome him. The idea of not just working on his own, but with others like himself to fight for a common cause, it was overwhelming.

"Squad is such a petty word. We do have a designated title. Officially we're recognized as Operation Empire, but off the books, we're simply the Empire." Savage turned and faced adam. "Strange title, considering that all empires fall."

"And yet," Adam smiled as he squared up his shoulders and stood up a little straighter, "empires last for a long time. They have their time, place, and purpose. Perhaps the day this Empire falls will mark the day when heroes are no longer needed and peace reigns across the world."

Savage reached up and shook hands with Adam. "Welcome to the Empire, Mr. Wolff."

 _ **THE END**_

" _A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."_

 _-Joseph Campbell_


	33. Bonus Chapter

Whiplash

Chapter 33 "Jump"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Silence, there it was preying on the woods as the light from the beating sun filtered through the trees. A cool breeze and the chirps from a few insects were the only subtle sounds that marred the silence. The smell of pine filled every crevice of the forest and settled on the long winding trail of packed earth. A humble wooden post with a weathered sign read, "Camp Pumastone 0.5 miles." The sight was a wonderful relief for the three young travelers who came hiking wearily down the trail.

"Finally!" Caleb Redd Shouted at the top of his lungs. After doing a week double fist bump to the air, the red wolf began to overdramatize his panting and need for water as he clumsily grasped for his canteen. Only a few drops mocked him as he whimpered in thirst. "Aw, I'm out."

"You should have conserved your water better." Sara rolled her eyes remembering the empty bottle that hung from her belt. "You even drank the rest of my water!"

"Here," Daniel handed his bottle to Sara, "you two can have the rest of my water." The deer, and third member of the group, was almost a head taller than the other two.

"Are you sure, Daniel?" Sara asked as she took the bottle. "What if you're," she paused the moment she registered the full weight of the bottle, "wait a minute." She uncapped the metallic vessel. "It's not even half empty!"

Caleb's eyes boggled at the notion. "How is that even possible?"

"Sara is right." Daniel began to fiddle with the compass on his backpack. "You just need to conserve your water."

Sara smiled at him after taking a sip of the refreshing water. "Of course I'm right."

As Daniel laughed, Caleb snatched the bottle from his sister. "Whatever."

Daniel stopped laughing when he looked at his pocket map. "That can't be right."

"What, what is it?" Sara looked at the map.

"This isn't the trail. There's supposed to be a fork where the half mile marker is." Walking up to the post, Daniel barely touched the sign before it tipped over and fell into the dirt. "Look." Out from under a pile of branches, he pulled out a bigger bright orange sign.

Sara read this new sign. "Restricted Site. EEC," she stopped reading as the rest of the sign was covered by caked dirt, "well if this isn't the path, where is it?"

Daniel looked around. Eventually he spotted an overturned rock and a hoof print. Moving the rock he found a square hole that matched the size of the post. Seeing what looked like a bush, he walked forward and effortlessly pushed the bush out of the way to reveal a narrow path that was almost invisible enough as it was. "Here." He retrieved the post and put it back in the place it belonged.

"Woah," Caleb picked up the bush and looked at the bare roots, "good thing you saw that." He looked up at Daniel as he threw the bush away from the path. "How did you see that?"

Daniel held up his compass. "Direction. The path was supposed to head twenty six degrees North East. This other path is five degrees and would have taken us way off course over to the lava tubes." He stuck the compass in his pocket.

Sara hummed with a sense of delight. "Once a Junior Ranger Scout, always a Junior Ranger Scout."

"Always prepared," Daniel added. "I'll be a Senior Ranger Scout once I figure out what to do for my project."

Sara smiled up at Daniel. "You'll figure it out."

Caleb deadpanned at his flirty little sister. "Ahem!" Daniel and Sarah's heads both shot up towards Caleb. "Aren't either of you concerned with the fact that someone tried to hide the trail and lead us off course?"

Daniel remembered the hoof print. He recognized it. "Zebra." A rustling behind the trees alerted him.

"Well lookey here, boyzs!" The lisp ridden voice of a familiar zebra approached Daniel and his friends.

"Billy Stripes." Daniel groaned as a wave of irritation shot up his spine. Noticing the four others that stepped out with Billy, Daniel shook his head. "New friends?"

Billy snorted and sucked the saliva out of his braces. "The onwly animalz wurth talkin' to in zis sesspool."

Sara seemed ready to attack Billy. She probably would have if her brother didn't hold her back. "Nice grill Billy. Did Gilda Maney mess up your face that bad?"

"She ain't wurtha tuh be called a zebra. And besides," Billy sucked back more spit, "shee hitz like a gurl."

Caleb held Sara back more as he laughed. "If you're referring to a rhino girl, then that'd be about right."

"Enough!" Billy shouted. "Danyel, tell your predator petz to shut it!"

Daniel whispered to Caleb and Sara. "Guys just go, this doesn't involve you."

"No way," Sara wrestled her way out of her brother's grasp, "if we leave there'd be five of them and only one of you!"

Caleb put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Yeah, at least the three of us together stand a better chance against these chumps."

Daniel looked back to Billy. "What do you want?"

"You wruined my life." Billy squared up trying to be taller than Daniel. "I had it great before you an' yur stupid fafher messed up evryting!" Billy's lisp flared up in the wake of his anger. "Now my parenz watch my evry moove, an' send me tah stupid camps like these."

Daniel crossed his arms. "So what? You want to fight me?"

"Yeah!" Billy shouted.

Thinking for a moment, Daniel shrugged and handed his backpack to Caleb. "Okay. Sure."

Billy's energy faltered for a moment. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah." Daniel stretched his neck and slowly walked up to Billy. "A fair fight, just you and me. I'll do it."

Billy hummed in amusement. "I half expected you to run away like a little baby."

Daniel readied himself with his arms hanging steadily by his sides.

Billy put his arms up, prancing around Daniel like a pro boxer. "I'm gunna enjoy thiss!" He threw a punch. Daniel dodged it. He threw another punch. Daniel dodged that one as well.

Seeing the frustration building on Billy's face, Daniel taunted him, "What's the matter? Not fast enough?"

Billy snarled spit through his braces. "Stop avoiding whatz comin'. You're weak, just like your cross breeding parentz!"

As Billy threw his third punch, Daniel swung his arm down to deflect it. Bringing his other arm up, he threw the full weight of his body into Billy's face.

Billy grabbed at his face as he fell to the ground. A few ohh's escaped from his would be followers. "My eye! He got my other eye!"

Daniel looked at Sara and Caleb. Very casually he told them to, "Run." The three bolted away. Sara and Caleb shot down the path towards camp while Daniel lunged over the restricted sign and onto the other path.

Unsure what to do, Billy's little gang just stared at Billy's swelling purple eye. "Furget doze predz, catch dat stupid deer!"

Daniel kept running as he heard four sets of pounding footsteps hot on his tail. Faster, he thought to himself, you must go _faster_. His vision narrowed to only the trail itself until the rees and everything else became a blur to his senses. The sound of his pursuers began to fade, but they'd catch up if he stopped now. A few bright yellow and orange objects in the distance alerted Daniel.

Slowing down slightly he found himself surrounded by large bulldozers, excavators, and other digging machines. Caution cones were laid out along with caution tape that was held up by long stakes in the ground. Daniel froze and pressed himself up against the side of a bulldozer when he saw a grizzly guard walking around. The bear held what looked like a riot taser and a tranquilizer slung over his shoulder.

"Over there!" A shout from the pursuers caught the attention of the guard and allowed Daniel to sneak away. Still heading in the opposite direction, he crossed over the caution tape line and crept into the open side of a hill where the earth had been dug out. There was a small tunnel that was just big enough for Daniel to fit into, even with his growing antlers. The tunnel dropped off about a foot into an open space where he was able to stand and peek out the opening to witness the fate of Billy's followers.

The guard was joined by several more guards and a few others dressed in uniform jumpsuits. They all shooed away the rowdy gang and sent them back the way they came. "Dang kids!" Someone muttered. "Why are we even digging so close to the camp while it's open," another asked.

Daniel saw a coyote in a suit and tie. The coyote straightened his hard hat as he pulled out a satellite phone. "If we came in and shut the camp down to do this we'd be drawing unwanted attention to ourselves. Savage has his own agenda. That's why we're here-."

Daniel backed away from the opening and lost his attention to an overwhelming sound that echoed in his ear. It started as a gentle ring and gradually grew more intense. He grabbed for the emergency flashlight that hung from his belt. Light erupted from the orange plastic tube as Daniel flicked the switch on. He could clearly see a large dome that appeared to be a massive lava cave. Daniel tried to contain his voice as he marveled at the swirling patterns of molten rock that had hardened in so unique of a form; it was a perfect hemisphere.

The floor was mostly dirt, but oddly enough, the dirt seemed to be melted close to the walls. Closer to the center, the earth softened. Right to the middle where Daniel saw the bones.

Daniel froze as he recognized the white structures that once made up a living animal. Reassuring himself, he drew closer to see who this other friend in the dome was. The bones were not very large. In fact, they were fairly small. It seemed as if the animal had laid down, its arms resting on the elbow joint as the flat outstretched paws faced the ceiling of the chamber. The ringing in Daniel's ear grew louder.

" _Deerenger."_

The voice surprised Daniel who took a step back from the remains. "Hello?" Stepping closer again, He could make out a sort of tattered cloth that must have been clothes at one point. Closer again, Daniel heard a faint whisper, that he clearly recognized as a woman's voice.

" _Deerenger…"_

Daniel felt cold for a second as fear struck him like lightning.

" _... is that you?"_

A loud sound was followed by darkness as the tunnel collapsed. Startled by the loud impact of collapsed rock, Daniel dropped his flashlight. His breath quickened as he scrambled for the flashlight. Once he had it, he almost cried at the fact that it had broken open; the batteries were gone. Unscrewing the bottom, he pulled out one of the waterproof matches and struck it on a rock. The dim yellow light barely lit anything.

Daniel shuffled his feet forward slightly and stopped. The ground, he knew something was wrong. The revelation hit him like a waterfall of bricks. He nearly choked on the fact that the bones were now gone. "Ouch!" Daniel dropped the lit match and quickly scrambled for another. However, each one after the other would not light.

" _My friend."_

Daniel began to tremble in the dark. It was cold. He was utterly alone, or so he thought.

" _I'll always give you light."_

Daniel felt sudden relief as warmth wrapped around him like a blanket. His breathing relaxed. The ringing in his ear persisted.

" _I knew you'd come back."_

Daniel blinked as a blue light popped into existence in front of him. Floating eye level in front of him was the skeleton. "Who are you?"

The skeleton tilted her head daintily as she appeared to take in the sight of Daniel. " _An echo of an old friend, Deerenger. I've been waiting a long time for this moment."_ Her jaw never so much as moved as she spoke, but the voice was definitely hers.

Daniel looked at the skeleton more carefully and noticed a peculiar crystal that glowed the same color as the light that surrounded this _old friend_. "Waiting? Why?"

" _One day, you will know. You're very special Deerenger, just like the ones you call your parents."_ The skeleton reached into her robe a pulled out something. " _For you. I kept it safe, just as you asked."_

Daniel felt the ringing in his ears grow to extreme volume. The moment the skeleton handed Daniel the object, the ringing stopped. "A ring." He looked at it carefully. Oddly familiar in size, it reminded him of his grandfather's ring that his father had showed him many times. Except, the emblem was different. It looked like a bug. It was the face of a grasshopper.

" _Keep it safe. Be good. And remember dear Deerenger, to walk at one with the earth."_

Daniel slid the ring into his pocket. "Okay." Looking around the illuminated cavern Daniel had been wondering, "Is there a way out of here?"

" _Always a way."_ The skeleton floated to the wall opposite to the collapsed tunnel. With a wave of her arm, light poured out of her paw to draw a circle through the hardened lava. The section collapsed to reveal a small crawl space that lead into a lava tube, possibly one that lead the way out.

"Thank you." Daniel was about to crawl out when he realized the skeleton was not about to follow. "Aren't you coming?"

The skeleton again tilted her head. " _I have served my purpose, there is no further need of me."_

Daniel felt for the ring in his pocket. Pulling it out he showed it to the skeleton. "I don't understand. What if I need your help again. I need answers."

" _Then,"_ the skeleton reached for her neck and pulled on a string, " _I shall go with you."_ Attached to the string was a crystal and the source of the light. The crystal's glow brightened as it began to levitate around Daniel's neck. Without warning, the bones collapsed to the ground.

It took Daniel a long while to navigate through the lava tubes, but with his compass and the light of the crystal, he made it to the end. Once again he was topside and back in the fresh air. The nature that surrounded him was a beautiful sight to behold. Taking in deep breaths, Daniel sighed at the pleasant smell of the forest. Then his attention was directed to the crystal.

An echo, he wondered, what does it mean? Debating if he should tell his friends about what he had just experienced, he elected to contain his story as a secret. Who _would_ believe him? He tucked the crystal into his shirt to keep it hidden. Pulling out the ring, Daniel got a better look at it in the sunlight. He found himself mesmerized by the polished surface that carried the blinding light of the sun. Gingerly, he slipped on the ring. In the back of his mind he thought he saw green sparks.

Getting his bearings, Daniel planned out his course back to the camp. He tuned out his worries. Instead, he focused on each step he took and how each step connected with the earth beneath him. He felt the wind brush against his face and his antlers. Walking became running as a rush of adrenaline filled his system. Looking back for a moment he saw that he had already lost sight of the lava tubes.

He kept running.

Each little distance he found himself going faster and faster. Daniel came to the realization that he was running too fast! "Ah!" He came to a screeching halt sliding some three hundred feet before tripping and rolling up to a tree. Looking back he could see a long trail of dust still floating back down for what looked like miles.

Recovering from his stop, Daniel tried to figure out what had exactly happened. Very carefully, he took a step. Nothing. He began to walk. Still, nothing happened. Then he tried running, but nothing changed. Climbing up the side of a hill he managed to spot the flagpole of the campground. However, it was much farther than it should have been.

Daniel thought about it all. He knew he was a good runner and had even taken first place on the junior track team. But, he never thought he was _this_ fast. What had changed? Then he remembered the ring and the chamber with the skeleton. Words began to drift back into his mind. " _...at one with the earth."_ Daniel remembered how he had lost himself in his surroundings.

"One with the earth." Daniel repeated out loud. Kneeling down, he felt the earth. There were times that Daniel had experienced the idea of prayer and meditation, but he never found that he needed it before. Closing his eyes, he felt something. It was faint but still there. It was as a light from deep within the earth. He embraced it.

Looking back towards the direction he came from he focused on what he felt. "I am one with the earth." Daniel got into a take off stance. "And the earth is one with me." His heart began to race as he took off, practically flying through the woods. Jumping over the lava tubes in a single hurdle, he barely registered the yellow blur of the excavators that passed him. Daniel turned around mid air to try and slide to a complete stop. He failed. Again he tripped, and this time he landed on his back. He struggled to regain his breath after the wind had been knocked out of him.

Eventually sitting up, Daniel found himself back at the fork in the trail. Billy and his gang were nowhere in sight. Sara and Caleb were also gone. Daniel eyed the trail marker as he felt aches all over his body. "I think I'll walk from here." Standing up he noticed a familiar water bottle off to the side of the trail. It was Sara's. "She must have dropped it." Retrieving the bottle, he noticed the bright orange sign from before. His curiosity lured him in. He rubbed his fist across it to remove the caked dirt. "Empire Excavation Crew?"

Daniel sighed as he began his _walk_ back to camp. He tucked the crystal into his shirt to hide its light that flickered every so often.

" _Stories never really end...even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page."_

 _-Cornelia Funke_


	34. IT'S HERE

HEROES of ZOOTOPIA

Picking up after the events of "Whiplash" the former vigilante Whiplash is joined by an ensemble of superheroes known as the Empire. They are followed by officers Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps as an ancient enemy threatens to destroy not only Zootopia, but all mammal life as we know it.

I can't display links but the story should appear with my profile...


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